paco.org Blog Francisco I. Rodríguez's authored posts from paco.org. https://www.paco.org/ Francisco I. Rodríguez 2026-06-08T00:00:00+00:00 Useful websites worth bookmarking https://www.paco.org/useful-websites-worth-bookmarking/ 2026-06-08T00:00:00+00:00 2026-06-08T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez The internet is still good at being useful, which is easy to forget when the loudest parts of it are trying to sell us something, scare us, or make us watch one more short video before we go do anything else. Show your work, even when it hurts https://www.paco.org/show-your-work-even-when-it-hurts/ 2026-05-27T00:00:00+00:00 2026-05-27T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez The sensible thing to say about artificial intelligence is that we should learn how to use it. That is also the boring thing to say, although boring things often have the annoying habit of being true. 50 Best Websites https://www.paco.org/50-best-websites/ 2026-04-04T00:00:00+00:00 2026-04-04T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Every so often I fall into one of those internet rabbit holes that reminds me the web still has some life in it. Beneath the algorithm sludge and the same five giant platforms, there are still strange little wonders, useful tools and deeply obsessive projects made by people who clearly care about what they are building. Can Gmail survive the cyberattacks era? https://www.paco.org/what-will-the-next-post-bring/ 2024-04-16T00:00:00+00:00 2024-04-16T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Email has had advantages, but its vulnerability means we may have to look for another tool Origins of Paco https://www.paco.org/origins-of-paco/ 2022-12-07T00:00:00+00:00 2022-12-07T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez I asked the OpenAI ChatGPT what is the origin of the nickname “Paco,” Thus it spake: Everything We Got Wrong https://www.paco.org/everything-we-got-wrong/ 2022-09-04T00:00:00+00:00 2022-09-04T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez I got my first job in the summer of 1983 programming databases for the local school district. Except I didn’t know they were called databases, or that you needed a whole plan to make them. Best Parking in the West End https://www.paco.org/best-parking-in-the-west-end/ 2022-08-11T00:00:00+00:00 2022-08-11T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Archive note: This post records parking conditions and prices as they were described in 2022. It is preserved as a personal/local record, not as current parking guidance. Rates, access, apps, and campus naming may have changed. Pink, pink, pink https://www.paco.org/pink-pink-pink/ 2018-09-01T00:00:00+00:00 2018-09-01T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Although my formative years took place in the 1980s, the 90s were a force to be reckoned with, once I started to pay attention. That being said, the close of the decade brought a seal to the era in an unusual way: a commercial on television, featuring a song from the 1970s. And then All Things Changed https://www.paco.org/and-then-all-things-changed/ 2017-10-22T00:00:00+00:00 2017-10-22T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez (Somehow rearranged.) And it happened driving somewhere in somebody’s car, that the radio played the M/A/R/R/S mashup “Pump Up the Volume,” and music changed forever, all at once. An important song for me https://www.paco.org/an-important-song-for-me/ 2016-11-17T00:00:00+00:00 2016-11-17T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez No explanation, really. At the time — 1991, I think — I was stuck in a bus for two days. It moved forward, yes, but ever so slowly. All the time, all I had was my Sony Walkman and one single tape — “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John. Also, I only had two batteries. I also had one book, “Fear and Loathing in the Campaign Trail” by Hunter S. Thompson. The batteries ran out, I read the book twice. What a miserable time. What a wonderful moment. Rhiannon https://www.paco.org/rhiannon/ 2016-08-02T16:09:31+00:00 2016-08-02T16:09:31+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Somewhere along the way, a friend of mine posted this video on Facebook, and I stopped disliking the song Rhiannon, that for whatever long-forgotten reason I disliked. I think it was because it was featured in the TV-Guide channel of whatever cable system I had in the late 80s that kept on playing it over and over again. Welcome to the time machine. Let's try eating less and exercise https://www.paco.org/lets-try-eating-less-and-exercise/ 2016-07-30T00:00:00+00:00 2016-07-30T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez I remember reading this in the paper all that time ago, and thinking “Yeah, right.” Top of the mornin’ https://www.paco.org/top-of-the-mornin/ 2016-04-05T11:24:10+00:00 2016-04-05T11:24:10+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez I don’t know, once all the construction on I-30 is done, will it be a better thing that I can get to work earlier in the morning? I thought you died alone, a long, long time ago https://www.paco.org/i-thought-you-died-alone-a-long-long-time-ago/ 2016-03-31T00:00:00+00:00 2016-03-31T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez I’m a big David Bowie fan, but not because I got into David Bowie. The first song of his that I liked was the collaboration with Queen “Under Pressure,” and even then (early to mid-80s) I associated that song more with the supergroup than I did with just Bowie. Radio hits of the 80s that followed (“Let’s Dance,” “Blue Jean”) were a welcome splash to the otherwise repetitive string of pop put out at the time. Once Upon A Time https://www.paco.org/once-upon-a-time/ 2015-06-17T00:00:00+00:00 2015-06-17T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez I always wanted something. And at one time, that meant I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t know what that meant. Not one bit.But then, there came the time when the keyboard was faster than my mind. And it all changed. The Stitcher Scare https://www.paco.org/the-stitcher-scare/ 2015-06-08T00:00:00+00:00 2015-06-08T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez So my Stitcher Radio stopped functioning this morning, and as I panicked at the lack of content, I realized that nowhere had I written down my playlist. The Digital Calculator Blues https://www.paco.org/the-calculator-blues/ 2015-03-05T00:00:00+00:00 2015-03-05T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Last night, as I was tippy-tapping on my iPad and retweeting weather updates and listening to voicemails and reviewing information about the next day I thought about how mundane the whole experience was. I was suddenly reminded of that time in 1973 or 1974 when my father showed me what was then an absurd purchase, a pocket calculator with bright green digital numbers, that could add, subtract, multiply and good grief, divide with the push of a couple of buttons. I won't tell anyone if you don't https://www.paco.org/nobody-lnows-youre-a-dog/ 2014-12-06T00:00:00+00:00 2014-12-06T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Nobody knows you’re a pack of dogs, is more like it. It's Always Better if You Use a Tripod https://www.paco.org/its-always-better-if-you-use-a-tripod/ 2013-10-20T00:00:00+00:00 2013-10-20T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Archive note: This 2013 personal post has been restored to paco.org from the former idtprof.net archive. Its three original images remain preserved at immutable legacy-media URLs on idtprof.net while the historical media collection is consolidated. Use your powers for good, people https://www.paco.org/use-your-powers-for-good/ 2013-10-16T00:00:00+00:00 2013-10-16T00:00:00+00:00 Francisco I. Rodríguez Archive note: This 2013 personal/Internet-culture post has been restored to paco.org from the former idtprof.net archive. The locally preserved composite image remains at an immutable legacy-media URL on idtprof.net. The original third-party animated source is referenced historically but is not treated as preservation media.