Blog: April 2024

My Site Redesign is Good Enough - IndieWeb Carnival April 2024

2024-04-30 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in en

I recently redesigned my website and let me tell you, It was long overdue. The redesign was on my to do list from a long time a go. Things were a mess in the code. It's still a work in progress. I was using multiple style sheets (I'm still reducing this). I was using a theme I had modified and I was using Tachyons, a CSS framework. Having to add more CSS classes for specific purposes was getting overbearing. Sure my blog posts were getting pretty with various designs and looked a little nicer. I hate to say it, I was often more worried about what my website looked like instead of focusing more of the quality of my posts. An RSS reader simply pulls the content and none of the styling that comes with CSS classes.

I was starting to lose it. I simply needed to strip my website of any unnecessary CSS and classes. I was also limited on time so I couldn't commit to something from scratch. I found a simple CSS framework that provided me the bare minimum that made my website look very simple but more put together.

The name of the CSS framework is...wait for it... called, simple.css. It's a CSS framework that has no classes built in. Simply load this and boom! Your website is mostly organized without the "extra" stuff. It's super simple to override the CSS code to add something specific.

Using simple.css was good enough for me. Simply, it was a no brainer. It allowed me to address the issues, and it was good enough to implement. simple.css is simple and fast. At this time, I don't feel the need to commit to designing from scratch the CSS to make my site pretty. Going minimal is good enough for me.

This is why 'Good Enough' is enough to get things done.

This blog post is in response to Aaron's, known as RisingThumb, IndieWeb Carnival April 2024 post on good enough. Thank you for hosting this month's carnival. Everyone and anyone is welcome to host an IndieWeb Writing Carnival.

I got accepted to a master's program

2024-04-29 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in en

I'm really excited to share that I applied to the graduate program at the alma mater I graduated from at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I applied for the Masters of Science in Education in Learning, Design & Technology with an Information Technology Concentration. I chose the IT concentration because, I work in IT where I would like to implement my knowledge at the school level. I'm not in the classroom as often anymore. It seemed more appropriate to go this route.

I'm really excited to go back to school! I've been itching for this for a while. Since, I still work in education, it seems appropriate to also continue my education and better improve my knowledge and skills in addition to what I do already with other forms of learning.

I also value education as well. I want to also have degrees beyond a bachelor's degree. My goal in the near but possibly distance future is to get a doctorate degree. Even with a master's degree, it's been a dream to teach a course or two at the university level. I would teach technology courses specifically for teachers to help eliminate barriers and increase technology literacy for teachers. I would also teach methods for teachers of all ages through scaffolding to embrace technology.

As a Latino, I find it important to help represent that we can succeed in higher education.

Time to register for classes!

Nebraska Tornadoes

2024-04-26 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in en

My home state got hit pretty hard with tornadoes today. Many people's homes were destroyed. My friends and family were giving me updates. They are all okay. Things will get back to normal but will take time. im also worried with climate change, we will see these intense storms happen more often.

thinking of my people in Nebraska

El tren y los estudiantes universitarios.

2024-04-26 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in es

Hoy es el ultimo viernes de abril. Quiero relajar después de un dia bien ocupado y productivo. Estoy bien feliz que ya empezó el fin de semana. En este momento estoy escribiendo en el tren y voy para la ciudad de San Francisco. Es mi manera preferida e mas conveniente. Siempre uso mi computadora para que me entretengo. De vez en cuando levante la cabeza y miro a mi alrededor al interior del tren.

Cuando me subí al tren en Sacramento, estaba medio vació. En la próxima parada de Davis, se suben varios estudiantes universitarios. Traen mucha buena energía positiva. Ellos están con sus amigos. Se van de parranda a San Francisco. Muchos toman el tren para regresar a casa.

Viendo los estudiantes universitarios me da mucha alegría. Me recuerdan mucho cuando estuve en la universidad. Siempre de aventura con mis amigos. Pero en lugar de usar tren, usamos el carro. Estoy contento que ahorra vivo en un lugar que el tren es mas común.

Me gusta ver que están disfrutando estos momentos preciosos.

Technology at McDonald's and what it taugh me.

2024-04-25 by Pablo Morales

This post was written in en

When I was 16, I applied for my first job at McDonald's. I ended up working there during high school and through most of university. I learned so many skills that last me a lifetime. I was very fortunate enough to learn the ins and outs of the technology that runs a McDonald's Restaurant. The technology that runs a McDonald's restaurant, is a testament that withstands times.

I've always been great with technology and implementing new things. I sometimes wonder why I didn't always go into IT right away. That's a conversation for another time.

While I worked at McDonald's, I was the de facto guy who knew technology and could fix most problems right away.

Since I've last worked there so much has changed but at the same time it hasn't. When I left, lot's of the things we take for granted now at McDonald's we're implemented.

McDonald's changed their back office software from a command-line interface program to a web based back office web application. I remember being a 22 year old college student being in charge of implementing the transition from the old system to the new system. That's a lot of trust in someone to make a major change to the mainframe. If you look at the picture above, this CLI program ran the entire store. I could open the store, I could run reports, I could count down drawers, make transfers, etc. IT DID IT ALL! Talk about , "If it ain't broken, don't fix it!" This is a prime example of legacy software that is virtualized and maintained to run the operations of one of the most popular food chains.

Performing major projects was key to make sure the store was up to date so we could handle the new software implementations that were coming up (many of us didn't know what the future had coming.) It was fun to do all these since these were hands on and it got me away from my normal duties as a McDonald's manager.

Major projects

Replace two main frame computers (one OS upgrade and one electrocuted computer.)
Replace Drive-Thru system
Replace old back office software to web based

Not only was I trusted to handle the equipment of a multi-million profit store location, I also started to trust myself and be more confident in myself.

Mobile Ordering was officially implemented. Back in the early days, there were no time limits on when you can use a deal.

After, I left the ordering kiosks were implemented.

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