I am not a humble person, and I know I have an inflated ego (well, I try to take the hype out, but who could really do it constantly), and I have been showing a lot of pride about knowing my own country better than most, and knowing large parts of the world as well ...

    The Earthquake has awakened me to a sad reality... Sure I know lots of people from that area, probably, I know more about it than most, but I just have never been there ... and it is no longer the same ... I have no shame about not knowing the people that died there, for that happens all the time somewhere in the world, and I didn't know that many people in people in Boumerdes, Algeria before the may 2003 earthquake ... however, it never crossed my mind to check on my many friends in algiers...

    I didn't show that much concern for my dear friend and fellow RD Michelle Bustamente when her area of California was on fire (well I was concerned, but I didn't dare show some affection at the time, I regret it now ...)

    I am far from being a patriot, and I say it louder than most would, but I realize I could have better managed my relationship with those I consider as friends and those I truely love (love is, as I think of it, affection one shares, and that, more often than not, would touch friendship more han it would touch closer physical relationships) ...

    Any way, Dear Rif region is suffering, and as much as I would like to be a universal person, I feel its sorrow ... Not that I claim any special rights (I reclaim I am no patriot), but I feel so deeply that sorrow that I wish I could do more about it ...

    I will just state this once more : I believe there is no difference between any two human beings, I feel deep sorrow about the Al Hoceima Deads, but no more than I would feel about NY deads, Tel Aviv deads, or Beijin deads for that matter ...

   I also feel I have something in common with those people that I don't necessarily share with everybody else : a perfume, a sound, some colors, a flower's sent, whatever makes a sentiment of belonging to this area of the world ...

    I do try to fight it, but my friends in Al Hoceima, I feel your pain, and I feel it as part of my own pain ...

3/1/2004 3:51:50 AM UTC     

   There are a few situations in life when you are unexpectedly caught with a show of affection that really matters ... And as it is unexpected, you rarely see it at the moment ...

   Although the last Earthquake that hit the region of "Al Hoceima" in Morocco has troubled me so much, which is the main reason I haven't blogged about it at all (I have as an imutable principle to never comment hot issues until they dig in and passion goes away), I have been hiding it way inside me to make sure I don't even think about it ... And that made the few calls/pings I got from some of my friends even more powerful ... They simply needed to know I was alright ... Thank you very much, and I now know who are my real friends ...

   A special thank you to Eileen, Clemens, Scott and Steven ...

3/1/2004 2:53:27 AM UTC     

If you have been trying to reach me lately, as I know many have, my email has just changed... simply replace arrabeta.com by kemmou.com or use the comments onthis entry to reach me ...

2/28/2004 6:06:14 AM UTC     

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2/25/2004 1:59:54 PM UTC     

Once again, virus makers try use Microsoft identity to spead their stuff ...

Take a close look at the logo (lacks the cut on the "O" and the connecting line between the "O" and the "S") -- they could do better ...

Microsoft	All Products |  Support |  Search |  Microsoft.com Guide
	Microsoft Home

Microsoft Customer this is the latest version of security update, the "February 2004, Cumulative Patch" update which resolves all known security vulnerabilities affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express as well as three new vulnerabilities. Install now to help protect your computer from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an malicious user to run code on your computer. This update includes the functionality of all previously released patches.

System requirements	Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
This update applies to	MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
Recommendation	Customers should install the patch at the earliest opportunity.
How to install	Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog box.
How to use	You don't need to do anything after installing this item.

Off course, the attached file is a W32.Swen.A@mm virus ... which is not even new ...

Off course this virus is speading because of our use of privileged accounts (the virus writes to the registry to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion  and many of its subkeys ... wich only an administrator can do ...

I had earlier today a kind of heated exchange in a newsgroup about setting the aspnet_wp to use the "System" account ... we really should be doing better than that ...

Just to make sure you understand the message : MICROSOFT NEVER SENDS UPDATES BY EMAIL... NOR SHOULD EVER ANY SENSIBLE VENDOR DO...

2/24/2004 3:39:59 AM UTC     

I really like it, but I hate Red Hat...

2/15/2004 1:36:50 AM UTC