12.06.2013

My Top 5 Albums of 2013

Hey, I've missed you. Have you missed me too? No? Well, I'm here. Deal with it. It'll be quick, I promise.

What follows is a short visual list of my favorite albums of 2013. It was a particularly refreshing year in music, in my opinion.

10.03.2013

Snapchat Stories, Hands On; Thoughts on Snapchat Monetization

Some thoughts brewing for a few weeks Re: Snapchat Business Model:

It's almost inevitable that Snapchat will introduce Ads to its service -somehow-. With an $Billion-Dollar IPO on the way, its biggest challenge is moving beyond an app and becoming a platform with a healthy revenue. I was thinking of Sponsored Snaps, where you'd find in your Snaps feed clearly labeled Snaps and videos that are, well, Ads. The first problem would be what the ROI would be for the companies, since it's not a guarantee that A. Users will tap on them if labeled clearly and B. If they will hold and actually pay attention to the Sponsored Snap. A controversial but effective move would be for the snaps to not require holding once tapped.

Another issue, probably more important, is the impression that Snapchat isn't as private or secure as its users would think, once they think about how Snaps are just showing up on their feed. Again, the clear labeling would help with that, but it would incite conversations of just -how- private or self-destructive your snaps are.
Today, Snapchat announced Stories, a way to recap your day in snaps and videos. They also don't delete after 8-10 seconds (20-something seconds this time). It's an interesting feature that will allow your friends to know what you've been up to, as long as you let them. How they can monetize this is not quite clear yet, but it's exciting to see them redefining social sharing in a way that remains consistent with their core features. I think a key extension of this feature would be sharing of Stories outside of Snapchat through Facebook and Twitter, their main competitors as of today. It was that component that made Instagram the ubiquitous entity it is today.

Stories, while not completely innovative on its own, is very attractive in its current incarnation and Snapchat's branding. It's a blend of an early Facebook with Vine (Instagram Video, etc) that could prove to be very successful, again, if it's well-executed, and sharing (beyond screenshots) is enabled.

-- UPDATED HANDS-ON THOUGHTS-- 

9.11.2013

Idea: Cadena Multimedia 100% Digital (Tweets)

Lo que sigue es el resultado de pensar por la 3era ó 4ta vez en el concepto de una estación multimedia puertorriqueña para la era digital. La falta de esfuerzos de las compañías de hoy me frustran. Si tengo tiempo luego, me sentaré a detallar completamente el concepto. Por ahora, varios tweets de mi cuenta personal, @OwlbertoRivera




/brainstorm


Alberto
theUD

9.10.2013

iPhone 5c: Pensamientos y un vistazo al Futuro de Apple (Opinión)

TL;DR: Apple hoy reveló no uno, sino dos iPhones nuevos: El iPhone 5S, su nuevo flagship, y el iPhone 5c, su modelo barato. Bueno, "barato". '5c' parece ser Color, no Cheap.

El uso de comilla no es burla, el iPhone 5c se rumoró por mucho tiempo que sería el modelo barato, -nuevo- que tanto se esperaba. Rumorado a costar $300-450 fuera de contrato (Apuntando a un máximo de $99 en contrato), y vendría en una variedad de colores.  Sería la apuesta de Apple para un mercado bajo más valioso que nunca, y mercados en desarrollo como India. So far, so good.

Hoy, Apple nos refrescó la memoria: Apple no es conocido por precios bajos, ó accesibles.

El iPhone 5c ofrece un nuevo diseño, cubierta de plástico, más colores que nunca y ... bueno, más nada. Es un iPhone 5 en una nueva carcasa, por la mayor parte. Y no es barato. Tiene un costo comenzando en $549.  Pero, con toda la crítica que se le pueda buscar, es quizás la movida más sabia que Apple ha hecho en años, y su oportunidad de mercadeo más brillante desde el iPhone original.

9.09.2013

QIOS.CO IS (almost) DONE. Officially launched!

TL;DR: Qios al fin está corriendo. No fue fácil, pero lo logramos. *llorando*

A finales de Julio, me propuse un reto: Crear un negocio en 2 días, con $100. Le llamé el #WeekendStartup al proyecto y lo publiqué quizás un poco demasiado. La realidad es que conocía los obstaculos que se presentarían, y sabía que habrían muchos más que jamás vería venir. Y fue justamente lo que sucedió:

Me enfermé, más grave de lo que he estado en años. Además, el día inicial estuve horas configurando la dirección de la página misma, apenas el primer paso de todo el proyecto. El segundo día, logré avanzar bastante, pero se presentó problema tras problema y aunque logré tener la página inicial activa, NADA de la funcionalidad que me interesaba tener, estaba configurada. La semana que le siguió la pasé pensando seriamente qué haría para 1. Resolver los problemas que seguían apareciendo y 2. Simplificar mis ambiciones para Qios.

Es mi propia culpa, really. Pude hacerlo todo en cuestión de horas, de haber escogido un camino un poco más tradicional. Escoger una compañía que ofrecia dominios y hosting por par de pesos más, por ejemplo. Pude haber ingeniado un producto menos complejo que no necesitara de tanto ajustes a nivel de código. Pude hacer un poco de pillería y orientarme a profundidad (como lo hice en el segundo round) ó incluso comenzar antes de tiempo y decir que lo hice en 2 días si lo lograba. Pude no haber abrido la bocota (bueno, la palabrería) y me hubiera ahorrado la presión innecesaria.

Pude haberme quitado, como lo consideré por varios días.

8.07.2013

Pensamientos ante el #QiosBuild; ó el Rol de Qios.co en el "Big Picture"

El papel de Qios.co en el 'Big Picture'

A sólo días del reto, y me encuentro ancioso, emocionado, y bastante confiado. Orgulloso de mi mismo por llegar hasta aquí, por dedicarme de esta manera y encontrar las respuestas que buscabas a preguntas que aun no conocía. Estas 2 ó 3 semanas han sido las más estresantes y desesperantes que he pasado en mucho tiempo. Sin embargo, nada de eso fue negativo.  Estos pasados meses me han enseñado que sembrar buenas vibras te ayudan a cultivar buenas vibras y lo he visto una y otra vez. Cuando les hablé de este proyecto, me encontraba algo cínico. No suelo compartir pensamientos como esos porque simplemente no sé como será recibido. Sin embargo, lo hice (inicialmente) como una manera de obligarme a mi mismo a cumplir con el reto, y me encontré sorprendido con como fue recibido esta vez. He notado el interés, he visto el apoyo, y los gestos simples aquí y allá, y sólo quiero Agradecerles, de corazón.

Admito que sin los gestos, no sé si estuviera tan positivo como estoy ahora, tan motivado. Tan deseoso de hacerlo y lograrlo y así pasarle a ustedes lo aprendido. A ustedes, a los suyos, a sus amigos y familias. A mis padres, a mi hermano. El que Qios funcione ó no -NO ES LO IMPORTANTE-. Lo que importa es explotar la burbuja en la que vivimos, bajo todo el set de reglas de 50+ años atrás.

El Part Time. El Full Time. El Bachillerato. La Maestría. El Mínimo Federal. Las Promociones que nunca llegan. Trabajar 40 horas por 40 años para otra persona para retirarte con 40% de tu salario. Vivir Cheque a Cheque. Vivir drenado de todos tus sueños y esperanzas. Llegar a la tumba sin poder decir que hicistes lo que querías. 

En el 2013, todo eso se acabó. El futuro está aquí, y no lo estamos viendo. El paso más dificil es comenzar, y el resto será parte del camino. En la era de la información, no existen las excusas. En el 2013, mis amores, podemos comenzar imperios con un teléfono. Con una laptop. Con poco más que par de dólares, y ya ni eso es requisito. Las reglas que dominaron a nuestros padres, y a sus padres, caducaron. Es hora de tomar esas reglas y doblarlas y torcerlas y mofarlas a tu gusto. Hoy, No hace falta préstamos. No hace falta tiempo. No hace falta un equipo completo. No hace falta edificios ni oficinas. La corporación está muerta, larga vida al emprendedor.

Qios.co es un proyecto diseñado para cambiar la forma de pensar del puertorriqueño. Del wannabí empresario. Del que dijo "Ojalá" y ahí lo dejó. Nunca es muy tarde, nunca es muy caro. Todo momento es un buen momento para cambiar tu vida, y cambiar el mundo.

Qios.co quizás no cambie el mundo, quizás no alborote a Puerto Rico como una nueva sensación, y la realidad es que no pretendo que lo sea. Es una herramienta. Pero mi esperanza con este proyecto es que despierte el interés de ustedes en sus futuros y en el futuro de Puerto Rico. En provocar una nueva revolución. Nuestra revolución. 

Me sigas este wikén ó no, no es lo importante. Lo importante es que tomes esta experiencia y alimentes tus esperanzas con ella. Alimenta tu coraje.

Visualiza tu futuro, ignora las reglas y crea tu propia revolución.

Puedes seguir el desarrollo de Qios.co en Facebook, Twitter y en Instagram:




FB: Qios App
Tw: @QiosApp
Inst: @QiosApp
Vine: QiosApp (no hay versión web, aun)
#QiosBuild
#48100







Muchas gracias, mirando hacia el Sábado,

Namaste

Alberto

Facebook: A Los Veintipico
Twitter: @Veintipico_
Youtube: A Los Veintipico

*If you have an idea for a future post, or any questions you might need help with, don't hesitate in contacting me through any of the social networks, or just send an email to alosveintipico@gmail.com *




ar



8.02.2013

Steve Jobs on the Secret of Life -- Viernes de Visualización

Hace tiempo no hago un Viernes de Visualización, pero lo sentí necesario esta vez. El video que sigue es uno muy importante para mí, ya que es probablemente el mensaje más importante que he recibido. Desde que recuerdo, he pensado de manera similar, pero el saber que alguien mucho más sabio que yo validó esta filosofía, y la puso en palabras que yo no podía, me obliga a compartirlo con ustedes. Lo he visto muchísimas veces, pero le guardaba celo a que este fuera -mi- inspiración, -mi- filosofía, la cual compartía con el empresario y creativo más importante de nuestros tiempos. Pero, bueno, no puedo ser egoista por mucho.

TU puedes cambiar al mundo, una vez sacudas las nociones que la sociedad te acumula encima.


Sin más preámbulos: Steve Jobs, y el Secreto de la Vida.




Versión escrita:

"When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and you're life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life.
"Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."



Ahora, patéale el trasero a la próxima, y todas las futuras, semanas (a la vida)!

Alberto

Facebook: A Los Veintipico
Twitter: @Veintipico_
Youtube: A Los Veintipico

*If you have an idea for a future post, or any questions you might need help with, don't hesitate in contacting me through any of the social networks, or just send an email to alosveintipico@gmail.com *


ar

8.01.2013

Qios: Mi proyecto ($100 Weekend Startup)

"Yo no jugué la mano que me tocó, cambié mis cartas. Miré a los cielos y cambié mis estrellas." - Kanye West

Existe un cierto sentimiento, similar al remordimiento en ver algún deseo íntimo cumplirse. Una satisfacción "demasiado buena" que sólo puede ser neutralizado al aceptar y absorber el momento, y luego querer sentirlo más y más. Don Draper dijo "La felicidad es un momento antes de que necesites más felicidad." La ambición es una enfermedad, el éxito su droga, y las dos combinan para crear una receta peligrosa y muy poderosa para la depresión. Depresión cuando -no- consigues el éxito. Cuando no puedes alimentar tu ambición. Puedes visualizar tus sueños y hablar sobre ellos todo lo que quieras, pero al menos que te lo propongas y 'metas mano': la vas a pasar mal.

(Para ver donde comenzó esto, click aquí:  Lanzaré un negocio en un wikén!)

(To read this in English, click here: Qios.co: The $100 Weekend Startup)

Hace algunas semanas, comencé a hablar sobre el hecho de que estaré -- no que quisiera, comenzando un negocio en Agosto. De veras esta vez, como dicen. Ves, he estado coqueteando con la fortuna por demasiado tiempo ya, y es hora de que agarre a la maldita y la haga mia. Perdonen lo crudo que suenan, pero es la verdad. Como mencioné en aquel artículo, he intendado, y fallado, al lanzar distintos negocios ó conceptos, apenas levantándolos del papel en el cual los conceptualicé. Así que decidí recoger todas mis herramientas y enfocarlas en una sola meta: Qios.

7.31.2013

Qios.co: The $100 Weekend Startup [ENG]

"I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards. I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars." - Kanye West

There's a certain, almost guilt-like feeling in seeing something you wished for unravel. A "this is too good" satisfaction that can only be neutralized by taking the moment in, and then wanting more of it. Don Draper said "Happiness is a moment before you need more Happiness." Ambition is an illness, success is the drug, and the two combined make for a very dangerous, very powerful recipe for depression. Depression when you -don't- have success. When you can't properly counter your ambition. You can visualize your dreams and talk about them all you want, but unless you set out and make it happen: you're gonna have a bad time.



A few weeks ago, I started hinting at, and eventually talked about, the fact that I am going to --not want to, start a business in August. For real this time, as it were. You see, I've been flirting with fortune for too long, and it's time I wrangled that bitch and made her mine. Sorry about the raunchiness. But it's true. Like I mentioned in that post, I've tried to, and repeatedly failed at, starting different businesses and concepts, barely lifting them off the paper they were conceptualized in. So I decided to finally harness all of my best assets and focus them on a single goal: Qios

7.21.2013

The $100 Weekend Startup Business

(Para leer este artículo en Español, haga click aquí: http://alosveintipico.blogspot.com/2013/07/wiken-negocio-startup.html)

"There he goes again," you might be thinking. And you'd be right. I've been in this position before: motivated, so sure that things will work out, confident in my skills and instinct to be able to make my projects come to life. Unfortunately, none of them have actually happened. I could be lazy and blame a lack of resources (money), but the fact is that I'm just tired of my own excuses. There is no bigger obstacle than the one you place yourself. I've accepted that I simply just didn't do enough; I didn't go far enough, I didn't think hard enough, I wasn't strong enough -- I couldn't put on my big boy pants when the going got tough. I gave up, time and time again. With all the motivational stuff I preach, you'd think me a hypocrite, and I'm seeing myself that way. 
I'm a loser, a fraud, a failure, straight up.

And yet, here we are again. Again. But this time, I feel, is different. 

Although I am not yet prepared to go into detail as to what this project is about, I can say that it's a web application/service, and the process I plan on putting behind it is kind of special to me. It's a project that, whatever happens, success or not, I 'll be proud of. Because I am vowing to do my best, to go beyond good enough. I am learning as much as I can (which is saying a lot when you already know quite a bit) and dedicating most of my free time to obsessing even more over marketing, technology, programming languages and the economics of a startup. In a way, what matters won't be the product itself-- the road will be the reward. Cliché as fuck, I know. But it's true.

Allow me to explain...

If I can acknowledge something about myself, it's that I work well with deadlines. There's something about the pressure that pushes me to do my best at my most efficient. I thrive under pressure. And that's why I am taking a different approach to this project. At the moment, I am in the middle of an intense research and development phase; basically, putting all of the elements together and in order in time for the first or second week of August, for two reasons:

  •  I'll be committing to and completely dedicating one of those two weekends -just- to work on launching the product. 48 hours. 
  • It's when I get paid (hah! Middle Class!), and I will set aside a portion of my paycheck to develop and launch the product: $100. 


I am plotting to launch a product, a business, in 48 hours with $100. Sounds pretty doable, in my opinion.

Obviously, I am not aiming towards a mature and perfect product, the idea is to -start- and build its Minimum Viable Product, in keeping with the "Lean Startup" philosophy that I've been so fascinated with for years. (More information about the Lean Startup here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_Startup)

In that period of time, I expect to:


  1. Acquire the domain for the website, as well as a hosting service to, erm, host it. (I'm looking for the best -green- webhost, if you know any, please let me know)
  2. Acquire and integrate key plugins that will enable the core functions of the website.
  3. Develop the initial design and layout, following detailed notes and sketches I have been laying down for some time now.
  4. Publish at least 3 test pages/domains
  5. Ensure initial product quality. Have a clear idea of what's next in development, fixes, and overall structure and design of the product and business.


The weeks after that weekend will be used to refine the product and, if testing proves successful, apply for patents and business licenses.

In the weeks leading up to the project build,  I will be posting updates with more details about the product, including the name, as well as my vision for it and a glimpse of most of the ideas I have for it moving forward.  If you have any questions or tips, please do not hesitate to hit me up, they'll be more than welcome. I love feedback.

Wish me strength, patience, but most of all: wish that I learn even more from all this.

Alberto


Facebook: Alberto Endavant
Twitter: @AlbertoEndavant
Youtube: Alberto Endavant

*If you have an idea for a future post, or any questions you might need help with, don't hesitate in contacting me through any of the social networks, or just send an email to alosveintipico@gmail.com *


ar

Lanzaré un Negocio, en un Wikén, con $100.

(To read this post in English, Click Here: http://alosveintipico.blogspot.com/2013/07/100-weekend-startup-business.html)

"Ahí va otra vez," estarán pensando. Y estarían en lo correcto. He estado en esta posición antes: Motivado, seguro de que algo funcionará, confiado en mis habilidades e instinto para lograr mis proyectos. Sin embargo, ninguno (!!) se ha dado. Puedo ser vago y culparlo a falta de recursos (dinero), pero la realidad es que estoy cansado de mis excusas. No existe muro más alto que el que uno mismo crea. He aceptado finalmente que yo, simplemente, no metí mano; No hice lo suficiente, no fuí más allá, no me puse mis pantalones de nene grande cuando encontré dificultades. En todo lo de motivación que escribo aquí, y en mis perfiles sociales, he quedado como nada menos que un hipócrita y un perdedor. Un fraude, un fracaso.

Sin embargo, aquí estamos. De nuevo. Pero esta vez, mis amores, es distinto.

Aunque no estoy preparado para detallar este próximo proyecto, puedo decir que es un servicio Web, y el plan para crearlo es uno muy especial. Es uno que, pase lo que pase, éxito ó no, es uno del cual estaré orgulloso. Porque haré lo mejor; aprenderé más que nunca; he dedicado tiempo a aprender más de tecnología, mercadeo, lenguajes 'web' y la economía de un 'startup'. Hasta cierto punto, el fin no será el proyecto-- el camino será la recompensa. Cliché, lo sé. Pero cierto.

Me explico:

Si reconozco algo propio, es que yo trabajo bien con deadlines. Hay algo de la presión que me impulsa a dar lo mejor de mí de la manera más eficiente. Y es por eso que este proyecto lo haré de una manera distinta. Al momento, estoy en una fase intensa (hah!) de research y desarrollo de concepto para el proyecto. Básicamente, preparando todos los elementos y tenerlos en orden para la primera ó segunda semana de Agosto, por dos razones.


  • Primero, Dedicaré uno de esos dos fines de semanas -solamente- a trabajar en lanzar el producto. 48 horas. 
  • Segundo, es cuando cobro (hah!), y quiero separar una porción, como reto, para lanzar el producto: $100. 


Pretendo lanzar un proyecto, un negocio, en un Wikén y $100, solamente. Bastante razonable, en mi opinión.

Claro está, no espero una versión perfecta, pero la idea es -comenzar-, en su versión Mínima Viable, de acuerdo a la filosofía "Lean Startup" que me ha fascinado tanto por ños y ha sido tan popular y exitosa en los pasados años.  (Más información sobre la filosofía Lean Startup en: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_Startup)

En ese periodo espero:


  1. Adquirir el dominio para la página, al igual que un plan de hosting donde estará la página web. (Busco un hosting que sea "Green", eco-friendly, por ejemplo)
  2. Adquirir e Integrar elementos (plugins) clave para las funciones básicas de la página.
  3. Desarrollar el diseño inicial (layout) de la página, acorde con los planes (bien detallados) que he podido visualizar. (Cabe la posibilidad de que tenga/pueda encontrar un 'theme' bueno para comenzar, y podría costar)
  4. Tener al menos 3 ofertas de prueba activas.
  5. Asegurar calidad inicial del producto, tener una idea clara de los planes siguientes en cuanto a desarrollo de la tecnología y mejorías de diseño basado en 'feedback' de los usuarios iniciales.


Las semanas que le siguen serán utilizadas para refinar el producto y aplicar para patentes y permisos de negocio, si veo que va por buen camino. 

En las semanas previas al Wiken que escogeré, estaré dando updates sobre lo que será el producto/negocio, incluyendo el nombre, al igual que la misión y visión del mismo y un vistazo a casi todas las ideas que tengo para él y el futuro del mismo. Sí tienen preguntas ó sugerencias, están más que bienvenidas, me encantaría el feedback.

Deséenme fuerza y paciencia, pero sobre todo: que pueda aprender mucho con esto.

Alberto

Facebook: Alberto Endavant

*If you have an idea for a future post, or any questions you might need help with, don't hesitate in contacting me through any of the social networks, or just send an email to alosveintipico@gmail.com *


ar

5.28.2013

BlackBerry's Future; or the Highest-Profile Pivot in Recent Memory

TL;DR: BlackBerry should abandon the hardware business (or, at least, its high-end smartphone business) and develop its software portfolio as a multi-platform ecosystem. 

At some point in early 2012, I became fairly convinced that BlackBerry, RIM (Research In Motion) at the time, would not survive 2 more years if it kept going the way it did. Years of boneheaded decisions had piled up to staggering heights, and attempts at the time to stop the bleeding didn't seem to be working at all. BlackBerry was going down, and there was nothing that was going to help their cause. 

[BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heinz presenting the new BlackBerry Q10]

Just over a week ago, reports started coming out that Windows Phone, Microsoft's latest mobile endeavor, had overtaken BlackBerry as the No. 3 Smartphone OS, with just over 3% adoption. This all but solidified the race at the bottom for #3, and Microsoft has been focused enough to zoom right past BlackBerry. When I saw this development, I had a solid moment of celebration: I am a huge Windows and (especially) Windows Phone fanatic. I was an early adopter of Windows Phone 7, having obsessed over it since it was first unveiled as the Windows Phone 7 Series, and have even worked as a Brand Ambassador to Microsoft, advertising Windows 8 and RT to the masses. Needless to say, I was excited and felt a bit proud about this. We finally got #3. But then, as I thought about it some more, I realized something: I felt genuine pity towards BlackBerry. 

People point to Apple and the first iPhone as having created the smartphone industry back in 2007, but it cannot be overlooked how BlackBerry was actually the company to Validate the concept of a smart phone, a handheld computer. 
Throughout the 2000's, it was RIM the one that created and dominated the 'smart phone' market, with the now iconic keyboard and other signature features such as mobile email and, in their last years of dominance, messaging and security. Their spectacular downward spiral serves as tomes of lessons for entrepreneurs and companies big and small that all orbit around a very important theme: Adapting. 

Let's take a deeper look at what's happened, and what the future may hold...

5.02.2013

On Potential; or Let's Rehab The World

We are all born artists. Entrepreneurs. Geniuses. 

Every single great work of culture began as a blank piece of paper or canvas; just a thought that blew up like the Big Bang (whoa, creationists!), inside the Galaxy of Neurons that occupies your brain. It's fascinating, really: The staggering, overwhelming amount of potential that each and every child is born with. It's damn near unlimited. We have to revise our go-to descriptions when it comes to newborns and babies:

"Adorable!"

"Beautiful!"

"So hairy, already!!" 

"A fucking genius."

We have to. Allowing a child creative and intellectual freedom can no longer be a luxury; an eccentric parenting choice. It has to be downright -illegal- to not allow a child to dream, and fully support and feed that dream. We are all born no less bright than Da Vinci, Henry Ford or Steve Jobs were when they were born. The go-to move is criticizing the deeply broken education system. And, while I agree completely, I believe we have to take a look at ourselves. Education begins at home. Education, I believe, is a two-part program: the school, and our homes. We -have- to do our part. We can point at the school system all we want, but if you refuse to be a part of your child's dream and block their infinite imagination, you're setting him/her up for a drive-less life, forever doomed to be judged and manipulated by a number, a grade. A frustratingly incorrect measure of a child's potential or true intellect..

The 'he/she's too young to know what he/she wants" response is bullshit. 
You know exactly what you want the moment it first comes to you, as a child. It's not a phase, or an accident. It is meant to be. Don't be an asshole and mess with future greatness.

4.09.2013

The Pointless Pursuit of Happiness: Highly Personal #2

Hace unas noches me encontraba conduciendo. Luego de terminar mis labores por el día, luego de llevar a Lemon a su empleo (compartimos todavía). Entonces, conduciendo pensaba "Okay, tengo horas y horas para hacer lo que quiera, salir y compartir con amistades. Debo aprovechar ese tiempo para distraerme." Dentro de poco, ya eran las 10pm y no había hecho nada, excepto ver mi lista de contactos, pensar sobre la vida, y en general un montón de nada.

Es una emoción peculiar, un sentimiendo extraño, y una realización que cala profundo y -destruye- todo tu ser.  Una vez cumples con tus prioridades y no queda nada más. Sentí un vacio tan profundo. Un dolor tan intenso. La realidad me chocó, cómo andar a buen ritmo y encontrarte con un cristal bien, pero bien limpio. Intenté descifrar cual era la solución, sin éxito. Que más hay, cuando familia no te llena, cuando el amor te abandonó, y cuando alejas a quién antes llamabas amigos, aun si no fue intencional. No había manera de ver el lado positivo de mi posición:

Estoy solo. Bien solo. 

Lo interesante de las redes sociales es que aunque no interactues directamente con alguien, sientes que al escribir estás compartiendo con esas personas, conectando a nivel personal. Piensas que estás construyendo puentes de cariño y positividad y -popularidad-. Hay quienes sí comparten directamente con sus conocidos y queridos, y bien por ellos. Yo me obligo a pensar esto, y es lo que me ayuda a seguir compartiendo mis pensamientos, y escribiendo en este blog. Pienso que alguien, en algun lugar, está leyendo lo que digo y quizás le interese. Auto-convencido de que los 'Views' que recibo significan algo, cuando la realidad es que 'Clicks' sería una mejor forma de describirlo. Hace unas semanas propuse maneras alternas de traerles información, usando Video. Gracias a una serie de distracciones negativas, eso, ó cualquier cosa relacionada a A Los Veintipico, sufrió de abandono. Pero no fue tiempo -totalmente- perdido.

Las pasadas semanas me dí a la tarea de estudiar estas mismas redes, y observando a la gente que me rodea. Buscaba desesperado -cual- era la clave de la felicidad que mostraban. Los motivos detrás de sus sonrisas. Las razones detrás de sus rostros en paz. Hablaba, no de mi posición ó "estudio", y notaba mínima preocupación en sus voces ó sus mensajes. Observaba y escuchaba con discreta -envidia-, deseando encontrar esa paz, esa felicidad.

Si preguntas sobre la clave para la felicidad verdadera, un 85%* de las personas llegarán a esa nube que cubre a nuestra sociedad, cultura, y hasta política. "Dios," dirán, "es la clave para ser feliz. Rezar/Orar, seguir sus enseñanzas. Eso te llenará de pura felicidad." Religión, la que sea. Sin embargo, creo que llegué a la verdadera clave. Aquello que se escondía detrás de esas sonrisas y rostros. De esos estados llenos de positividad.

(Mi punto de vista sobre religión es uno complicado, así que evitaré entrar en detalles. Si te interesa, no me molesta discutirlo contigo, pero trato de alejar a A Los Veintipico de religión.)

Ignorancia.

Si tan sólo yo pudiera ser un poco ignorante, no tendría que preguntar quien quiere salir conmigo, y quien no. Podría salir con otra(s) chicas y no pensaría como el recién-soltero que soy. Estaría satisfecho con un part time en alguna tienda, en vez de aspirar a diario a crear un Puerto Rico mejor. Sería fanático de Avatar, en vez de The Hurt Locker. Me enfocaría en mi propia felicidad, salud y logros en vez de priorizar que quienes me rodean esté bien. Fuera popular por -no- tener una opinión y personalidad, en vez de ser polarizante ó simplemente no popular por expresarme, pensar y actuar como lo hago. Pero quizás llegó el momento de soltar mis esperanzas y sueños. De soltar quién soy para poder ser quien debo ser. De rendirme. 

Qué se siente derrotar a quienes podría cambiar a Puerto Rico?

...
Pero, pues, lección aprendida:

La clave para la felicidad es una dosis saludable de ignorancia.

Basado en eso, jaMÁS seré feliz. Espero estén contentos.

Meh.

4.01.2013

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out, they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We got an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would go to college.

This was the start of my life.


And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out okay. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked far more interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College, at that time, offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus, every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.


Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path, and that will make all the difference.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky - I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew, we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so, things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. And so, at 30, I was out... and very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world's first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it.Sometimes life's going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle, as with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking; don't settle.

My third story is about death.


When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up, so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery, and thankfully, I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it's quite true.


Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 60's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much


.


Steve Jobs – Commencement Address at Stanford University, 2005 Lyrics

3.20.2013

¿Quienes son los verdaderos bullies? [Guest Post]

[Guest Post] son artículos escritos por aquellos con algo que decir, algunos son exclusivos para A Los Veintipico, otros son republicados de sus respectivas fuentes, siempre con su debido crédito. El enfoque de A Los Veintipico es poder tocar el nervio de aquellos en sus Veintipico años para echar pa' lante, al igual que aquellos sobre ó debajo de ese 'range'. Cada cual tiene su perspectiva sobre la vida y y sus numerosos debates, y esta es nuestra forma de compartirlo con ustedes.

*Originalmente Publicado: 17/10/12*


Hace un tiempo atrás estaba conversando con un niño. Me contaba lo mucho que le gustaba su escuela actual porque aprendía mucho y “porque el nene de la otra escuela ya no le hace bully”. Me quedé en “shock” cuando escuché ese término salir de la boca de un niño no mayor de diez años. En mi asombro le pregunté: ¿Que significa “bully”? A lo que él con una cara triste me respondió: “No sé”.


Se dice que los seres humanos nacemos solamente con dos miedos: miedo a caernos y miedo a los ruidos altos. El resto de los miedos que tenemos los hemos aprendido por experiencias ó se nos han enseñado. ¿Recuerdan cuando su mamá y papá le decían "Uy! Por ahí viene el Cuco!"? Sí, le estamos enseñando a nuestros hijos a tenerle miedo a un personaje ficticio. Este miedo es aprendido, sicológicamente se lo estas plantando en la cabecita que justamente, esta en una etapa de absorción total.

Este tema del “bullying” es algo real que lo hemos estado viviendo de siempre pero nunca se había traído a la luz pública de esta manera. Se escucha en la radio, se ve en la televisión, en las redes sociales, en fin en todos lados. El problema está en que se le esta presentando esta tema a los niños como “El Cuco”.

3.19.2013

New Release Tuesday: 3/19

"New Release Tuesday" es un programa de A Los Veintipicos que busca orientar al lector de cuales son los video juegos y películas que saldrán al mercado cada Martes. Al igual que orientar sobre cuales saldrán la próxima semana, para que puedan reservarlos. *Disclaimer* Los enlaces provistos son de Amazon, y A Los Veintipico recibe un pequeñ(ísim)o porcentaje de ventas finales. Así que si les interesa un juego ó película, agradeceriamos lo hicieran a través de nuestros enlaces*

Hoy, Martes 19 de Marzo de 2013, saldrán al mercado los siguientes:

GEARS OF WAR: Judgement

THE WALKING DEAD: Survival Instinct


*De La Semana Pasada*
GOD OF WAR: Ascencion




Películas

THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey



ZERO DARK THIRTY

*Preorder* LES MISERABLES




Nos vemos en el próximo post.

Los Quiero,

Alberto

Facebook: Alberto Endavant
Youtube: Alberto Endavant

*Si tienes alguna idea para un artículo, ó alguna pregunta con la cual necesite ayuda, no dudes en escribirme por cualquiera de mis redes sociales, ó me puedes enviar un email a alosveintipico@gmail.com *

3.18.2013

De-Extinction; ó cómo la ciencia está abriendo paso a un Jurassic Park menos Jurásico (y mucho más real)

-- Sí, me encantan los titulos largos, no sé porqué...--

Recuerdas la primera vez que viste Jurassic Park? La emoción al ver, por primera vez, dinosaurios 'reales'. Y el debate eterno entre el "Ay, ojalá y eso pasara de verdad!" Vs. el "Acho, no, pa' que nos coman?!!" Sin embargo, nuestra imaginación había sido capturada, conquistada, y desde entonces la intriga y el deseo de ver animales por años extintos vivir nuevamente se reinvigoró, y vive hoy más fuerte y posible que nunca. 


Quick Fact: Se estima que la Tierra perderá hasta 20% de sus especies en los próximos 30 años.

3.14.2013

A Los Veintipico, 2.0

Quiero tomar este post para compartir con ustedes varios 'updates' a A Los Veintipico.

Con el propósito de hacer de A Los Veintipico un portal que existe para la fomentación del conocimiento, la motivación, opinión personal y de todo un poco, con una infinitud de intereses, me gustaría dedicarme aun más a laborarlo.

Es una labor de pasión en su sentido más puro. Lo hago porque me gusta, y porque ustedes son super nice con uno la mayoría del tiempo. Han cooperado, apoyado y de una forma u otra aportado a yo querer hacer esto las veces que puedo por semana. Saco tiempo para hacerlo con calma, y ahora estoy tomando medidas para tener aun más tiempo para hacerlo, por varias razones.

Paréntesis: Entre los cambios, hay uno bien notable: Ads. Anuncios, como lo llamen. No me parecería justo ó viable cobrarles a ustedes por algo que, seamos realistas, pueden vivir sin el. No hace sentido. El programa en el que estoy es uno seguro, Si quieren cooperar para tomarme un cafesito mientras escribo, clickeen (de nuevo, los ads son 'sanos', no hay nada de virus envuelto ni nada, ya los he probado).

Aun estoy haciendo brainstorming en cuanto a la totalidad de lo que será A Los Veintipico, en cuestión de un 'schedule'. Pero, sí les adelantaré dos (2) cositas: