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Showing posts from 2011

Taking control.

There is a certain freedom that lies within our minds that needs to be satisfied from time to time. We all have our ways, our methods to finding this freedom and for finding this satisfaction that our mind requires. In a complex variation of points, everything connects, and suddenly, it all makes sense. I don't know why I wrote that really, but my mind seems to want to write words to no reason, it seems to desire to speak. We are ready to go. The world is. We have reached endless amounts of opportunities and goals, and have quickly decided that in our time, everything would be possible. We went to the moon before we actually had personal computers, and now we're in the 21st century, and I stop and think, what is there to do? And it is then that I realize, we are failing. As the brilliant scholars that we are, we have yet to figure out the very system that will keep each and every human being at peace. We have yet to understand how to properly feed those who don't have

Here we go.

It's nice to get thoughts flowing again. It had been a few days of a pretty miserable wellbeing, and I was glad to have my friends there when I needed them. I had to cancel my flight to visit friends this weekend because of work, which bothers me even more, but I disappointed a professor. I don't mean to sound like I'm always looking forward to impressing the professor, because frankly it isn't about that, but rather whether I truly feel proud of the project. And I don't. I don't feel proud of my work, the project isn't entirely functional, it actually kind of sucks, and I was glad my professor let me know that up front. It was a rough emotional hit, but it was the truth. Today I am reorganizing my life, putting the pieces of a war-torn yesterday self back together, to come back a stronger, and more prepared self. I will not let the things that have affected me in the past affect me again. I will pick up and get my shit together, because I am not here for th

What is it about?

Let me whisper as the neurons fire, let me walk you through the tale, as the flavor rises, the shiver, it's back, and I don't know why, but I know exactly why. Beautifully cut pieces, flavor waiting to be lived, I fail at describing, as the many lagers stand beside me. What can I say, you know the path you must walk, what can I say, I've been here before, but I put down a different set, a different combination which were I a man of the past, would have frowned upon. As I stand back, I remember the stone, I remember the words, and the very subtle steps that marked an eluded happiness in a tale that brings a smile which knows no origin. I pack it up and to hell with it I say, I have put away the book of knowledge, and turned back to page one on experience. Everything is different now, and although I make no promises of repetition, I acknowledge the product of my very motion. Let me not think for once, and just be. Let me just be because that is all that I want. Perfec

A short inspirational message I wrote.

Because only then will we know who we truly are inside, and smile in amazement as we watch ourselves change with every blossoming flower that brightens our day. Don't live your life trying to understand who you are, live your life to understand that who you are is not one thing, it's anything you want it to be ♥.

Updates from the pile of work.

Last week was very tough. I haven't had the time to write much sadly, but I have written to many of my friends so I am kind of glad that I have balanced that. I'm working on many projects and for one of my classes I have to decide what project I will be starting soon, so I have to weigh my options and see what I will work on in the future. Now I have to keep working and make a blog for my SCAD class, work on connecting the Kinect to AS3, and so forth. We will see how this goes, I have yet to understand how actionscript files can directly link to a Flash project, but I guess i'll find out pretty soon. I hope that I will have more time to write later, been working really hard, I interviewed with Facebook yesterday and today and did really well so I am excited to hear from them tonight. Cheers, Daniel.

3-5 minutes.

You have to choose a topic, and speak about it for 3-5 minutes. What do you do? Let me tell you about a topic that fascinates me, travelling. I'm going to link travelling to the understanding of other cultures, which is obvious, but also to the betterment of yourself as a person, which is a little bit less obvious. I don't exactly remember the first time I got on a plane, or how many planes I've been on, but i'll tell you this, I knew since the moment I walked into another city, that this is what I loved doing. I just hadn't figured out why until a few years ago. I knew that travelling was my calling when I looked over the favelas in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, the worn out look of a camel as I rode the deserts of Egypt, and the perfection of the Sydney Opera House as the thoughts of Architect Jorn Utzon went from paper and pencil, to the majestic piece which we see today. The process is simple: 1. GET A PASSPORT. 2. Check if you n

It's just a ringtone.

I really couldn’t help myself. My fingers were thinking as the passage of red lights flew by me, energy circulated around me, I awaited a family message, in the midst of a lot of not caring. It’s hard to say what I was thinking, or what my mind was up to tonight… I was looking forward to a hotel bed and shower, a good talk with the family, and a long time sleeping. It was hard to say what was going on, but in a world where honesty is applauded, how is it that you fear in saying the truth? Ha, I smiled. I knew enough, I said to myself. Let me tell you a story, filled with creativity and beauty, with madness and disguise, with a sweet goodbye and a timely hello. 35 was the number, or perhaps it was 92, the answer, is really up to you. Pour the vodka onto an empty canvas, and sprinkle it with lemon. If I’m feeling crazy, I’ll throw in some black beans, and make it a dish. I’m sure I’ve lost you by now, but what’s the point in reading words that make sense anyways? But maybe, just mayb

Fear knows best.

I'd like to tell you everything, but words stop me half way, and tell me not to tell you anything. It's a fascinating ordeal of going all in, or simply betting the table min, A fascinating ordeal of eating the snack, or waiting for your full course meal. What can I say, I really want the powerful notes, but I fear it may be too much, I fear I will forget the notes that played by my ear as you sent them my way. I fear for these things without knowing, if I can take them both, I fear not because I don't know better, but because better is worse, and the future, inevitable. But most of all, I fear because the paths are obvious and marked, I fear because I know, I will knowingly make the same mistake, I fear because time isn't right, And every path I take I have stepped on in the past, In joy I thought wisdom would bring me peace, and here I lay, helpless, watching the future go by, I watch it crumble, and ask for the check, Dinner's ov

Will you go out to dinner with me?

I stepped into the restaurant for the hundredth time, and as always, the memories of our first time came to mind... 'I had walked in, as she strolled in with her beautiful dress into the chair I had pulled out for her. Thoughts were rushing through my mind, as they had been for the past two days. I had asked her out to a nice Cuban restaurant a nice 10 minute stroll from our university. Papi's it was called, and the nervousness I tried to hide. Why was I so afraid, I had thought to myself, god, I was being ridiculous. "Hey, I'm Mark, i'll be your waiter today, let's start off, what can I get y'all to drink :)?" The usual, I'd take an Iron Beer. She looked at me in confusion and I gladly explained the non-alcoholic nature of the Cuban soda I had ordered. She giggled. Mark came back and took our orders as we dreamed on about our desires to travel and our crazy ideas as to where we would go. As we went through the main course, I finally felt a

Keep Digging, You'll Never Get There.

A simple motivation, A thought resolved, The colors have changed, The past has returned. I thought it made sense, 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 permutations, How could I chose one, And get here again? The colors have turned, but I am still here, solved but unsolved, One strategy fits it all. Comienzo nuevamente, Sin saber mi direccion, Pero con esperanza, de un mejor futuro. No es de decir, que no doy gracias, por un pasado y presente perfecto, Solo que deseo un futuro distinto. I wisely walk a historic path, To live a shining star, Momentos que hemos vivido, Los quiero denuevo, asi que, volvere a hacer lo mismo. Oh and Miss Purple, let me know if you figure out what that number is, Google it :). -qk.

Silly Times

What do you want me to say, That every night I drift away, And settle for the spare change? Perhaps I want a change. That foreign concept and blurry word, I know myself, but it seems I have failed this once, at knowing everyone else. So as the gentle footsteps and an imaginary look back grab me for a roller coaster ride, I pull my main in hopes of a gentle landing, I pull the parachute to slow things down, and to hope that time does not drift our hearts apart. Maybe in a different world and maybe at a different time, right now, its what you haven't done that is the biggest crime. And as we whisper ourselves to lies, and look elsewhere for our cries, I dream and hope that one day in a foreign tongue, ill hold your hand as we look back at the silly times we had.

Four Quarters...

I worry, and I stress, I do everything, but i'm a mess. Give me a minute you say, 30 seconds, 60 at best, in between two things, i'll fit you in. I can't say I'll be on time, because frankly, I've lost track of it all. Things have been beautifully weird lately. I feel like i'm walking the life I already lived once again, I feel like it's a looping circle and I'm starting over, and I must say, I'm pretty excited. I think i'm restarting, I think I'm flying back to two years ago, when I toured Amsterdam for a second time, I think I'm going back to a beautiful time. I have lost track of some things, and forgotten others, I have been confused and afraid, but more so restrained. I have feared taking a step toward a better day, I have trembled, when I should have stepped. But that is all laid out in our history, that is all laid out in the moments that we live to learn from. The step that I trembled now stands firm in the ground, and the m

plant it. then explain it.

Sometimes you don't realize or understand somebody until the setting and scenario change... Sometimes what you didn't know hurts so deeply, that everything changes. It's like a drop of oil in water, it's that drop that changes everything, that messes with the entire cup of water. It's a small seed that drops into every thought, it's the final puzzle piece that you lost under the couch and finally found. Everything locks in, it all makes sense, and sense makes you feel like you've been living a lie. But then you realize the drop of oil had long ago contaminated the water, and you were only now noticing what you always knew. You knew that puzzle piece existed, and you only noticed the seed because it's flowers had blossomed, it took you long enough to realize, but now, it's evident. What can I say, reality doesn't hit you until it's a horse slapping you with a frying pan in the face. It's the lie that's always been there, the one you

Finishing my stuff.

1. Australian Visa BY MONDAY -- NEED TO PRINT DOCUMENTS, ALMOST COMPLETE. 2. Greenverse Website BY TUESDAY -- COMPLETED TASKS! 3. CS 3451 Graphics Assignment Due BY WEDNESDAY - NOT STARTED 4. UROC Symposium Research Presentation BY MONDAY - NEED TO COMPLETE POSTER, BUT PROTOTYPE IS DONE! Really happy about what I have done so far. As for this weekend, I was ridiculously productive, specially for the UROC Symposium, where Henry, Gaurav and I did admirable work to get our Kinect Hack working, in order to apply it to medical exercises. I was really proud of our work, and look forward to continue improving it. I was sad that I couldn't go to a cabin with my friends, but the amount of work I did definitely leveled things out. Gotta go print my Australian Visa documents, and finish the UROC poster tonight. Tomorrow and Tuesday night will be hectic with meetings, but i'll focus strictly on working on my Graphics assignment, as I want to get 100 since I didn't finish my

Blah.

I was recently listening to the cover of Born this way by Aston. They are an absolutely fantastic band, and I can't express how pleasing their album is to my ears. Absolutely fantastic. Anyways, here I go as my brain hurts slightly, as I keep working and keep moving forward, trying to finish everything that comes in my path. This weekend, I have to complete my application to the Australian government for a visa in order to travel there. I must also provide them with an itinerary of what I will be doing while I am in Australia which I simply have not had time to plan for! I think it's best if I list off the things I have to do. 1. Australian Visa BY MONDAY 2. Greenverse Website BY TUESDAY 3. CS 3451 Graphics Assignment Due BY WEDNESDAY 4. UROC Symposium Research Presentation BY MONDAY So, with the whole weekend to work, it does not seem like it is that much. I believe I will be just fine, but I will have to get my stuff together, and finish the website today, so that t

A change in direction...

Where are you headed? What path will you take in the next few years? Do these thoughts constantly run through your mind? Recently, they've run through mine... I was born and raised in Panama City, Panama as a very independent and self driven child. My parents pushed me in a direction which has truly touched and changed me. As a 2nd year Computer Science major at the Georgia Institute of Technology, I became very passionate about my work and about CS in general after I began research and saw the opportunities that stemmed from it. Now, after a few months of thinking, I had the privilege because of the TAPIA scholarship and the Georgia Tech CoC scholarship, to come to San Fransisco for the first time. After a few talks I was somewhat interested, but not entirely hooked. However, then I had the privilege of listening to a true person I admire, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, creator of Seadragon and co-creator of Photosynth. Now the architect of Bing Maps, Blaise has done some truly except

The Gift.

And a simple moment changes everything. Things can go wrong, they really can. You can sit there, defeated and in tears because you simply can't help but notice that moving forward just isn't an option. You can face the biggest walls, and face the roughest times. Working, all the time, every time, even in your break and everywhere. And then one person shows that they care... One person shows that they wish to extend a hand, or give you a call, and everything changes. The world is beautiful, but not because of it's natural aspects or because of the great achievements of human beings. The world is beautiful because of the little moments in which people show a dedication for others. The world is beautiful when someone, somewhere, thinks of you, and wishes you the best. The world is truly beautiful because there are other human beings out there who care. So, wherever you are, whoever you are, and whatever you are doing, don't you ever forget that someone cares for you, bec

Let me get hurt.

Let me sit here, Let me feel the drops, As my heart shatters, and your shadow drifts away. Let us get confounded, Let us mix emotions, Pour them all into a melting pot, Pour them all into a blurry past. I want to look back, and know that I have felt, I want to look back and know, That I have loved. Because from the pain, and from the tears, and from the painful nights, that I shivered through, There were the nights, that you held my hand, and gave me warmth, There were the nights, where it was only us awake, in the whole wide world, It was only us who felt love. Let me believe that it was all true, Let my tears be for the moments that I miss, and not for the moments that I did not live. Let me get hurt, because only then, will I have lived. Let me get hurt, because only then, will I have loved.

Free yourself.

I've been meaning to write this post for some time now. I don't know what's on my mind, but lines of code and work are definitely part of it. I think that it scares me to know I have so many things to do every day, and that somehow, all of them get done. It's a pretty crazy thing. Today my calendar updated me and it said, 'Have Dinner', and I knew I had reached a point where every minute of my life had been scheduled. However, I am really proud of what I do. I'd like to write it all out so I never forget of all the things I actually have to do. In fact, writing this article makes me want to do some work that I am missing. But frankly, screw it. Put work off and do whatever you want, because not sometimes, but always, you have to enjoy life. My mind is rather confused as to how it process things. I say this very carefully, because I am unsure of what is on my mind right now. How do you put yourself together? How do you wake up and greet people every morni