Elvis Montero

2 years + 56,000 dollars = ?

After two years of blood, sweat, tears, and a scholarship worth US$56,000, here’s the end result:

(click for a larger view)

Sans the blood and the tears, it was quite an amazing ride. Traveling to Rochester, NY, spending 2 years at RIT and meeting all the awesome people I met along the way, is one of the most salient experiences of my short life. And to think I was morose and utterly worried because I didn’t know whether I was going to get a scholarship almost three years ago. It’s incredible what persistence and an optimistic mindset can do.

With the arrival of the certificate, this chapter of my life is officially over. It’s now time to move on and look for bigger, more difficult challenges. Up, up and away!

Posted in Life | 6 Comments »

To err is human

We’re usually aghast when software from well-established, successful companies fail. We hold this idyllic vision in our heads in which software from IBM, Apple, Microsoft, or Google is simply perfect and error free. After all, Google employees are not mere programmers like most of us. They’re wicked smart, 4.0-GPA-at-MIT-while-also-enjoying-a-vibrant-social-life programmers! Picture my face when I stumbled upon this gem today:

(click for a larger view)

Does YouTube experience internal errors? Wait. Does this mean other Google online apps could also crash in spectacular fashion unexpectedly? To err is indeed human.

Posted in Technology | 1 Comment »

Holiday Lights

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they are aware of your presence but not of your might.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they do not question your motives and welcome you alright.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because their warmth is comforting and their colors are bright.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because their scintillating effect will result in delight.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they will surely drown any vestigial spite.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because there isn’t a podium so don’t think of stage fright.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because feeling better is your undivided right.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they likely will alleviate your blights.

Look at the holiday lights!

You better do it fast because they won’t last all night!

–

If you celebrate Christmas in your corner of the universe, then I wish you have a festive and fantastic holiday! If you don’t commemorate it, then have a super awesome weekend instead!

Posted in Life, Poetry, Writing | No Comments »

Pictures

Ever since I bought the splendid Nikon D5000, I’ve been taking pictures whenever and wherever I get a chance. I’m not a photographer, but photography is a hobby I’d like to explore further now that I have a nice tool to play with. These are some of the first pictures I’ve taken during the past couple of months. Enjoy.

This is the first picture I took with the D5000. I was looking for a subject and this Joker, a figurine that came with a McDonald’s happy meal, turned out to be the perfect candidate. Hi-Res Link (4288 x 2848).

During one of my regular strolls around RIT, I came across this quasi swamp. For some reason, the water’s vivid, greenish color captured my attention. I couldn’t see anything beyond the surface, but I could hear weird sounds coming from beneath (think frogs croaking, but with a more guttural and powerful sound). I pointed at the small pond and this is the result. Hi-Res Link (4288 x 2848).

I stayed at West New York, NJ, before traveling back to Dominican Republic after I finished my masters. I roamed over most of my uncle’s neighborhood when I ended up visiting this park I hadn’t been at since my early childhood years. Hi-Res Link (4288 x 2848).

I could see NYC and the Hudson river from the park. The view was absolutely gorgeous. Hi-Res Link (4288 x 2848).

I planned to spend an afternoon snapping Juan Dolio, a popular beach on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, a couple of weeks ago. This is one of the breathtaking shots I managed to get. It was such a beautiful and bright afternoon. Hi-Res Link (4288 x 2848).

Posted in Pictures | 4 Comments »

Blocked

I’m not going to lie or sugarcoat this one: I must surely have one of the greatest writers’ blocks in human history. I sit in front of my laptop and I can’t write anything. I just go blank. No ideas. No voices in my head telling me what to type. No thoughts of cohesive form. Nothing. Nil. For a person aspiring to one day being a published writer, and one who also happens to enjoy everything about the writing process and generating ideas, this is unequivocally not cool. So pardon me for doing this to you, dear reader. This is my retaliation. I’m putting a permanent moratorium on all the blocks in my head right now. Writers’ blocks, beware.

My thoughts can be perfectly depicted by the yellow block. Yeah, no way out!

Source: Stephanie Choplin

Dear block inside my head…

What’s up with not being able to write? Are you freaking kidding me? Thoughts should be free of this tyranny. Yes, YOU are a filthy tyrant, block! You’re an oppressor whose only goal is to castrate my thoughts and smile merrily while you’re at it. I. Don’t. Need. You! Block, I’m talking to you. Leave me alone! I was having dandy ideas and putting them in writing beautifully before you walked into my life. Who called you? I certainly didn’t. And yet, here you are. What’s your gain? Why are you here? I’m talking to you! Are you ignoring me? Can you believe this, dear reader? He’s not talking back! (Side note: Yes, I know it’s a HE. Mental blocks must definitely be male. It takes some BIG balls to interfere like this and get away with it. I’d have a more enjoyable time dealing with the bastards if they were female). Block, can you hear me? OK, fine! I’m not talking to you any longer.

OK, maybe one last word. Listen, before I finally get this over with, I’d like to express my discontent with these words: back the f*** off! I mean it! My words are free to travel from my brain to whatever medium, device, or format I damn well choose. You have no rights (none whatsoever!) to be meddling into my affairs and stopping me from unravelling my thoughts free. What’s wrong with you?! Do you enjoy my suffering? You, sir, are a pathological sadist. This is the last you’ll ever hear from me. You’re officially a pariah. My brain will no longer be clogged by your insidious presence. You have 24 hours to promptly leave the scene.

Still not talking to me? Please, be advise that if you don’t leave immediately, I’ll buy a freaking scalpel, cut my head open and get you out by force. You’re coming out either by your own volition or whichever other way I deem necessary. By the way, I find your pretending act rather childish. Why aren’t you at least defending yourself now? Oh, that’s right. You can’t! There’s no logical defense for the existence of your kind. You deserve nothing but swift extermination.

You’ve been warned.

Yours truly,

Me

PS
Feel free to stay away forever. Can’t you just wither away and die already?

The Obligatory Disclaimer

I can’t believe I just spewed my thoughts like this all over my laptop. This is definitely not my fault, dear reader. I sincerely apologize. I must be coming across as a gigantic, self-centered, melodramatic douche bag. I concede that’s me sometimes. But not now. Well, at least not right about now. Right now, I’m dealing with this freaking writer’s block! So please bear with me while I try to expel this baleful demon.

[scalpel shines radiantly on my hand...]

Ah, that was cathartic! Now that I’ve finally let my pernicious block know who’s the boss in Elvisland, I can probably try to write something, anything, again. Maybe I’ll be luckier this time. I’ll see you guys around in a bit. No, don’t hold your breath please.

Posted in Life, Writing | No Comments »