ProjectWRX

If you know me at all… You know I LOVE to cook!

A friend clued me into a recipe published in Women’s World Magazine by Nutritionist, Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman. Her “Fat Flush Soup” has been extremely popular since it was first published back in 2011.

Me, being me of course, had to make it my own. A few key differences are that I use a combination of celery, carrots, and onions to provide a aromatic element referred to in classic cooking as a “mirepoix” (pronounced “meer-pwah”). Being true to my roots, I have to add some heat to it in the form of serrano peppers. Finally, my version ends up being more “rustic” and hearty with tons of stuff going on in each spoonful. Feel free to try the original, as well as mine. You won’t regret either version!

I’ve had friends and family ask, so I wanted to take the time to show you how I do it. Mind you, I make a double batch. This freezes well and, frankly, tastes better as the flavors have a chance to meld.

Makes 18 servings.
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 188
Total fat: 5g
Sat. fat: 1.2g

The software:

- 1 LB lean ground beef. I use "Laura's Organic" brand. 90% or leaner, preferred.
- 3 small yellow onions, or 1 large yellow onion - sliced
- 22 cloves of garlic (peeled) - sliced thin or minced
- 4 bell peppers (I use a rainbow medley. I.E. Green, Orange, Yellow, Red) - diced
- 1 cup celery - chopped
- 1 cup carrots - peeled and chopped
- 16 oz white mushrooms - sliced and washed
- 16 oz portabella mushrooms - sliced and washed
- 3 serrano peppers - chopped thin
- 16 oz canned pinto beans - rinsed
- 16 oz canned black beans - rinsed
- 92 oz - V8 vegetable juice - Spicy hot/Reduced Sodium
- 1/2 cup cilantro - chopped
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley - chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh juice of one large lemon
- Fresh cracked pepper - to taste

The hardware:

- Cutting board
- Chef or Santoku knife
- 6 quart stock pot
- Food processor (optional)
- 1/2 cup ladle
- Large sturdy wooden spoon

“Mise En Place” – It’s a term. It literally translates to “Mess In Place”, and it means to prep all of your food ahead of time. So wash, chop, cut, and dice your veggies, beans, and mushrooms. Then, it’s easy to just put it all together.

It looks like this.

Step 1:

Cut your bell and serrano peppers in half and clean them of all seeds. Then slice into julienne strips and dice.

Step 2:

Slice onions. I cut them in half and then take the halves and slice right down.

Peel and slice your garlic in very fine slices. It costs a little bit more, but most super markets will sell garlic pre-peeled. It’s a huge convenience and time saver.

TIP: Here is where the food processor saves a LOT of time. You can painstakingly slice your garlic, or “pulse” the cloves in a food processor 6 times, for a second each pulse. Season with some black pepper.

Step 3:

Heat stock pot to medium high heat and add olive oil, onion and garlic mix. Cook until the aroma starts to come out (approx. 3 minutes) and add ground beef. Cook until browned, remove from stock pot, and set aside.

Step 4:

While on medium-high heat, add diced peppers, serrano peppers, celery and carrot mixture to stock pot. Stir well. Place lid on stock pot and allow to steam for approx. 5 minutes.

Step 5:

Add mushrooms to stock pot after 5 minutes and stir to combine. Cover. Continue to steam for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 6:

Add ground beef mixture, lemon juice, beans and V8 to stock pot. Stir well to combine. Cover. Reduce heat to medium heat for 20 minutes.

Step 7:

Reduce heat to a low. Add in chopped cilantro and parsley mixture. Stir and cover for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 8:

Remove from heat and serve immediately. Freezes well, and also keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Remember, a serving is one big hearty cup! At less than 200 calories, you can enjoy seconds, guilt free!

A su provecho!

The Commodore Amiga 500

I loved my Amiga!  I’m also not talking about the pretty girl I had a crush on in High School.  No, like some weird Cyberpunk Indie “B” flick, I’m talking about my first computer.

So, I won’t lie.  Why a Commodore?  I remember walking past a long gone store chain (Software Etc.) and seeing some awesome video games being demo’d on this computer.  Of course, like any 14 year old living in the Atari/Nintendo era, I had to walk in and check it out.  Twist my arm at that moment, and I’d admit that what happened next was pure selfishness.  I’d talk for days to my parents about how a computer would be good for school, how I’d be able to write my papers, and how it was only $500, etc.  Where, in reality, I was thinking of the cool game I saw that day, that I *NEEDED* to keep playing!  That game, Shadow of the Beast II, just blew my mind.  This, at an age where the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was king, and stuff like the Atari Jaguar, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo were still dreams being talked about at CES (Consumer Electronics Show).

Needless to say, I got my way, and I became the proud owner of my first personal computer; our family’s, actually.

Fast forward, and my naturally curious self actually started diving into the mechanics of how the GUI (Graphics User Interface) worked.  I had some exposure with Macintosh back then, and Windows was in it’s infancy by comparison. So this was truly “cutting edge” stuff!

The other big thing this computer did was expand my horizons outside of the small little town of 15,000 people I knew my whole life.  The computer came with something called a Modem (MOdulator/DEModulator).  Modems allowed you to connect your computer to another via the telephone.  You got to interact with the “O.G.” of social media, Bulletin Board Services (BBS’s).  In those early days I quickly realized that my fancy “Video game system” did a LOT more then I ever thought.

“OctaMED” – The software that landed me my first job in music engineering.

I have a very musical background and quickly got into using my computer to write music.  So much so that my first “big boy” job was at 15.  I was recruited to write music for a video game company.  TRUTH!  It was a pretty cool experience, because that company then realized I had a natural aptitude, and started teaching me computer programming.

Digress for a moment, and think about this.  In 1985, what did you have?  IBM’s 8086, then, in the late 80’s, the 286 was king.  Those computers had a little speaker that beeped at you, and the wonderful “green screen” displays were appropriately named because you had 2 colors (green or black), or an upgrade to a whopping 8 colors!!

Windows v1.01

Commodore’s Workbench 3.1

In the same period of time, Commodore offered you a computer that had 4 channel stereo sound, a MASSIVE pallete of 4,096 colors to pick from, with 64 of them being displayed at any time.  All while running a silky 50 or 60 frames per second (based on PAL or NTSC regions).  It’s no wonder that the Amiga quickly became the “de facto” computer for those in the creative arts.  Take it one step further, and also consider that in the modern world of gigahertz computers, gigabyte memory, terabyte storage devices, and Graphic Processors that can render a pixar movie in real time:  Commodore did it on a 7 MHZ processor, with 512 KB of ram, and an 880 KB (KILO byte! Not even 1 *one* MEGAbyte, or .000088 GIGAbytes) floppy disk drive.

Let’s put that into perspective.  An Alienware I7 (considered top of the line for gaming rigs) runs at 3.5 GHZ (3,500,000,000 instructions per second).  That Amiga was doing what it was doing at 7 MHZ (7,000,000 instructions per second).

That’s an increase of 49,900%!!!

The little computer that could!

But, it’s all about the games, right?  The processor used was manufactured by a company called Motorola.  Their 680×0 series of processors were so efficient that even the mainstream video game companies adopted them.  Sega utilized the same processor, in the Amiga, when they created their flagship video game system of the time; the Sega Genesis.

Want to try some of them?  Have a fast computer?  Keep reading!

Special thanks go to the developer of the “Scripted Amiga Emulator“, Rupert Hausberger.  He created a way for us to be able to host and play some of these old games and video demonstrations, in our web browsers.  I’ve set up some old favorites for you to try at:

amiga.projectwrx.com

Mind you, this takes a VERY fast computer to run.  I’ve had great luck using Safari and Chrome.  But, for those who are curious to see what it’s all about, but can’t properly run it, take a look at the video I created, below.

Finally, if you REALLY want the experience, every major operating system has a desktop Amiga emulator.  Google “UAE” and your operating system (I.E.  Linux, OS X, Windows, etc) and you will find free emulators you can use.

You’ll need two things to make it work.  A “Kickstart” ROM, and then the floppy disk image of what you want to play.  You can google the name of a piece of software, and “ADF” (Amiga Disk Format), and then you can load up and start playing.

For those who want an open source alternative, the AROS group has created an open source Kickstart replacement you can download for free.  Check them out here!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.  If I can help answer any questions, feel free to email me at jorge@projectwrx.com.  Make sure to put Amiga Emulator in the subject somewhere.

Finally, there are dear friends I’ve made because of this computer. One, specifically, was a huge part of this movement. A life cut too short. Jon, you’ll be missed. Whether you go by “Pasha Jon”, or “Neon Messiah”, we know you’re kicking it up there! R.I.P.

Cheers!

-Jorge

I’ve always been positively fascinated with technology and how it continuously becomes smaller, faster, and more creative.

Take this little gem. It’s been a hobbyist’s joy within tech circles for years. The Pi is a playing card sized full fledged computer that has the capability to run almost any modern operating system you want. It’s been huge in the science and hobbyist communities because it’s cheap, surprisingly powerful, and extremely versatile. I have a few ideas for these little gems (more later), but for now, I wanted to focus on just how much punch this little guy has.

Case in point. As you read this, I’m now hosting my entire website (all 30k+ hits a week) off of this $35 computer.

Let’s take a look at the specs:

SoC: Broadcom BCM2837
CPU: 4× ARM Cortex-A53, 1.2GHz
GPU: Broadcom VideoCore IV
RAM: 1GB LPDDR2 (900 MHz)
Networking: 10/100 Ethernet, 2.4GHz 802.11n wireless
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1 Classic, Bluetooth Low Energy
Storage: microSD
GPIO: 40-pin header, populated
Ports: HDMI, 3.5mm analogue audio-video jack, 4× USB 2.0, Ethernet, Camera Serial Interface (CSI), Display Serial Interface (DSI)

I’ve built many a custom computer in my life. I originally did something with similar hardware, back in the 90’s. I had custom built an arcade cabinet to emulate arcade games. Was a rousing success, and there were many a night lost; laughing with friends, nursing sore fingers!

I’ve since built a desktop version of that setup for four players. It’s great to kick back on the couch, and play 4 player Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the kids! Ahhh, but I digress!

We were talking about running a serious web server, weren’t we?

I’ve been a huge fan of the *nix style operating system for many decades. Why pay $100 for Windows, when you can do the same thing for $0! That’s right, *nix style operating systems are free, the software is free, and they are so efficient that you can use an old Pentium 4 and breath usable life back into it! In fact, that is the exact type of computer my kids have had in their bedroom for years. They run Youtube, Firefox, Chrome, etc. To them, *nix operating systems are just as familiar to them as their IPad, or Windows PC.

I selected one of my favorite *nix operating systems, Ubuntu v16.04 to run this website.


jorge@jorge-pi:/var/log/apache2$ free -h
total used free
Mem: 925M 330M 72M
Swap: 2.3G 456K 2.3G

As you can see, with 330 megabytes of RAM, I’m not only running this web server, but also running a full on desktop operating system!

But, back to that video game fixation. I saw a little “DIY” project that I simply must build! To me, these would make some awesome Christmas presents for some people I know…

I’ll just throw out a picture. The rest should be self explanatory.

I’ll be doing a followup article in a few months. I think that will make for a fun fall project!

So, in closing, Google “Raspberry PI”. You’ll be pretty surprised at how creative people have gotten with their little $35 computer. I know it’s no big deal to some, but when you consider the possibilities with weighing a few ounces, an after market that includes cameras, built in WiFi, Bluetooth, and being able to be battery powered. Well, now you’ve opened up avenues for drone pilots, artists, investigators, etc. No longer just the realm of a hobbyist or techno geek.

Yes..

I’ll have my Pi, ala mode with some coffee, please!

-Jorge

Online Dating is a 2.2 BILLION dollar industry!

Dating

Certainly not what it was back in High School. Now, like all things humans touch, it’s new, improved, shiny, and “better”!

You know… Match, E-Harmony, PoF, Tinder, OKCupid. Yes, online dating! Here it is!  Finally, the axiom of human engineering in the 21st century! Let’s optimize and improve on time honored tradition by throwing as many people as we possibly can at someone!

YES! This is what I’ve been waiting for! 5-6 different dates a week, a different beautiful woman every night, food for the ego!

Not…

When I wrote my last Life After Loss article I’d already spent almost a solid year “single”, and a cool 7 months since I’d had any contact with my ex. Sure, in the last 11 months I’d thought I was ready and done my fair share of “dating”, but I realized very early that all I was trying to do was find someone who embodied all the positive attributes I enjoyed in my prior relationship, without the bat-shit crazy emotional drama I had to deal with. At it’s best, it was a noble effort. Though, in reality I was far, FAR, from ready. So I spent quite some time over the fall and winter just really trying to work on myself.

After emerging from my self-induced hiatus I set out to “play the game”. Let me tell you.. there are some choice take aways that anyone who reads this should consider if they find themselves wanting to go down that road.

“Like what?”

Well, here’s a small list:

-Your average person is talking to 5-10 different people at a time.

-Most people say they want a relationship, but tend to want to play the field.

-Human nature says that if you keep dangling a carrot (or 5-10) in front of someone’s face, you won’t give any one person any sort of honest chance.

-Men tend to lie about their height.

-Women tend to lie about body types.

-Everyone tends to lie about relationship statuses.

-Non-smoker seems to also mean “smoke sometime” (then you call them out and you’re the ass…)

-Most women are still bat-shit crazy. (though, I’ve remained friends with a few who weren’t relationship material, but have since proven they’re not bat-shit crazy.. so there is hope)

-Guys tend to like to post pictures of their fancy sports cars and topless gym selfies. Women like the fishy face.. I still don’t get and understand that one.. *groan*

There’s a term I became familiar with very early on.  “Catfished”, a term used to describe an individual who met someone under false pretense or blatant dishonesty being forced on them.

Here’s a good one I’ve told in the past.  I walk into a bar; seriously this sounds like a bad joke.  A Mexican walks into a bar, and I’m looking for my date.  I scan the room and suddenly I’m like.  “No…”, scratching my head.  I grab my phone, pull up her picture, look up; again, “NO!”.

Then she sees me..  and starts jumping up and down waving her arms.

“FML, it IS her!”

So, what’s wrong here?  OK, when you use adjectives like “Slender”, “Athletic”, “Petite”, etc., you are painting a fair and objective picture about yourself; truly not subject to interpretation.

This lady was at least 10 years older then the pictures showed, and was easily 50-70 lbs over weight.  Not that the weight bothers me at all.  I was close to 400 lbs myself, so I have an appreciation for a thick girl, just don’t lie to me about it.

Here’s another quick one, which I elude to above.

I’m talking to someone and their profile clearly states “Non Smoker” and “Divorced”.

After several days of talking, I find out “Divorced” means separated and just starting conversations on seeing a lawyer, and “Non Smoker” to her really meant “I only smoke sometimes, but it’s no big deal.”

So, I call her out and tell her I’m sorry, I don’t think that’s fair when a friendship and relationship is supposed to be built on trust and respect, how is this supposed to look to me now?

At which I was told where to go, and “How DARE I talk to her that way..”

I have at least another dozen stories like that; sadly.

My take, is that it’s this damn digital generation we’re in.  I love the “Social Media” challenge.  Everyone puts their phone on the bar.  First to reach for it, has to buy a round.  We’re so tethered to our devices.  Someone WONDERFUL could be staring right at us, and we’d never know it, cause we’re looking for them on a dating site.

What happened to the old fashioned days where someone just goes out by themselves for a night, walks into a bar and just introduce themselves to someone who catches their eye?  That old fashioned way, when you stare into each others eyes and you both just “feel” that tingle; both having to pull away, smiling inside.

Then, before you know it, you’re still at that bar, and six hours later you have exchanged numbers and realize that what you just experienced truly is the way it’s supposed to be done.  The way that endures, when you can actually focus on ONE person, and truly give them a shot; and them, you.

I would like that..

-Jorge

We all have baggage we need to carry. The question is, will someone special come along who’s selflessly willing to help you carry and unpack it one day?

How has this process looked through the lens of someone who went through a physically and psychologically abusive relationship (<- Click to follow. Originally published: 2014/11/05)? It's hard to put into words; what my future would look like, or where I'd end up. But here's a glimpse, wondering if I can make it (<- Click to follow. Originally published: 2014/10/23), knowing I will make it, and looking for opportunities despite the loss.Now that I know..“But, what do we know?”

18 months ago my world started to change. I knew it was what needed to happen. I knew (as un-natural as it is for me) that I needed to care for myself because the person who I prayed for 4 years would, simply wouldn’t; and at the end blatantly made it worse in her own sickness.

“What did I know?”

I knew my decisions would cause immeasurable pain to my heart, but in time it would lead to healing. But it was a short lived resolve when I gave into trying again. Making it worse when I ripped away again almost 12 months ago. Then doing it again, and finally tearing away for the last time 9 months ago.

I went from my world changing, to myself being changed. Our personalities are defined by late adolescence. But, in the wake of a traumatic event, our psyche can re-arrange. The filter with which we live life is forever damaged, leaving our view of the world colored forever. I know that happened to me.

“How did I know?”

Simply? Because I realized that I was far less trusting, far more bitter, and far more closed off. Not wanting to let anyone in. Fearing that the only thing I’d find for my effort was more abuse and pain. Yet, as bad and tragic as that mindset is, a tremendous empathy and compassion sprung up from the cracks in my heart that she left riddled in her wake. I’ve never given up in anything in life, so I knew that something good had to come of the gut-wrenching pain she put me through. I believe in my faith that my God needed me to learn from it.

“What was it then?”

I knew that my largest gift, the ability to care for and love others, was also my biggest weakness. I never learned to love myself, to care for myself. This experience has certainly left me in a more emotionally grounded state. One where I’ve learned to trust in my Lord, and to trust my own instincts. Never again rationalizing the hurts someone causes me.

Sadly, that’s also not a good thing for my future. One day, if I choose to let anyone in again, I will need to trust. I will need to drop my guard and close my eyes again. I do believe that there is a good person out there who will understand, or who’s experienced my pain. That empathy binds people together. But if it’s God’s will that someone claim my heart, I know I need to have faith that they won’t be like her..

I’d much rather be single, then suffer one more day of my life with someone incapable of loving someone the way God commands it.

“So that’s it then?”

Well, ironically, the beginning of the year I had made it a point to just let God bring someone to me, to focus on myself in earnest. It was actually a speaker who came into church (Dr. Henry Cloud) who gave a sermon to people in relationships, as well to single people, that convicted me to change my thoughts on it.

Check out this video clip from that day. It’s hilarious!

https://willowcreek.tv/sermons/south-barrington/2015/02/restart-your-relationships/ <-- The full link to the entire recording is here, for those who are interested in seeing what he said. It's truly worth the view.There's a saying I heard. We all have baggage we need to carry. The question is, will someone come along who's willing to help you carry it, and eventually unpack it?I have faith that I will one day allow myself to open my heart and be vulnerable again. If there's one take away over the last 18 months, it's this. I've been exposed, and gotten to know countless examples of women ten times greater then "she" ever could hope to be. It was just me, who was too afraid to open up to them. It wasn't my time yet.But now, I know…
-Jorge

As we celebrate Random Acts of Kindness week, here’s a story of my own that touched me.

————

Brokenness? What is it through the filter of your own life and experiences? Loss of a loved one? Issues at work? Family or relationship issues? Every single person who’s reading this can empathize with what I’m saying. That said, in our lives it’s always the people who’ve experienced the most brokenness who you find are the most caring and selfless.

I know I’ve been through my own journey which has fostered an extreme ability to show grace and love to others. It reminds me of a time not too long ago, while on a business trip to Seattle. I was there with several co-workers of mine, out getting some dinner after a long day at a client.

After dinner, we started walking back towards the cars when I walked past a homeless couple on a bridge. Both sitting Indian style, on a rug they had. A backpack they shared with some extra clothing, a bowl, a bottle of water, and some paintings they had sketched on what looked like an old thrown out sketch pad. The care taken to trim off the frayed edges of the salvaged sheets of paper, making as good a rectangle as they could. The man playing a guitar and singing. Streaks of dirt wiped near the back of their necks and cheeks; obvious they try and keep themselves clean as best they can. Making the most of the life given them with dignity and pride.

I looked at them as we walked by, and nodded. No blatant attempt at soliciting to me. Just an honest smile from her, and a nod from him as he kept playing and singing. But what honestly moved me is how, at the worst point of their lives, she just wrapped her arm around his, smiled, closed her eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder. Just enjoying the melody he was singing. Clearly, both stripped of everything they had, but what mattered was they had each other during this season of their lives.

About 50 yards later, I felt a tapping on my shoulder by the Holy Spirit, and a whisper in my head to go back and help them. I stopped our party, and said to hold on. I walked back, and patiently waited for him to finish his song.

I then said to them both: “You know.. in a world where so much is taken for granted, divorce is at its highest, and we just selfishly destroy everything that’s good in our lives; here you both are. Together, happy, and clearly content to weather whatever challenge God has for you both. Thank you for giving me faith and being an inspiration. God bless you both!”.

With that, I put $100 in that bowl and started to turn and walk away. They both just gasped and started profusely thanking me, asking me if I’d like a painting, or if he can sing a song for me. I just looked at them, smiled, and said “You already gave me a gift that you can’t put a price on. Blessings!”.

What was that gift? To remember and never take for granted the grace a complete stranger showed me when I was broken; never forgetting how something as simple as a smile, at the right moment, can turn someone’s life around forever.

————

Blessings!
-Jorge