You know those people who work in technology. They get in their crowd and talk about the wierdest things. iSCSI, SAN, kernel, c++, IDM, beans, home (when it doesn't have anything to do with a house), fabric (having nothing to do with cloth), and on and on. I admit it. I am one of those tech people. I try not to let people outside of work know that too much. You know how it goes. You say you are and engineer, and they ask you if you know how to repair their TV. You say you work with computers, and immediately they think you can tell them why their document won't open, and why things are so slow. Of course my family knows what I do, but they just can not understand that a laptop is not the same as a server with 100 CPUs and half a Terabyte of memory.
Unfortunately, I think I've been outed, and I might have done it myself. Someone the other day was talking about their small business thingy and how they were going to spend some really good cash to get up and running on the web. Before I knew it, I was practically yelling at them to STOP. I unloaded on how so many things are available for free now. In the process, a couple of other people came by to hear the conversation, and oh no. My little technologist secret is out. I guess my faking dumb, either by silence or otherwise covert method, has go to GO.
That being said, if you have a really good iSCSI impementation, it would be cool to hear about it.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
I think they're crazy
Last night, I spent the evening with an old friend. My wife worked with her for several years, and they became close friends. We were in their wedding, sang songs, laughed together, and then she left with her husband to move to Atlanta.
He was a stranger that we never really got to know too well. He was from Dominica, and was so laid back. There was never a moment that he seemed to get anxious over life, even when you thought that certainly he should be. Well, they are in love, and who knows, maybe that's all they need.
Atlanta was not big enough. Dominica called them both to return to that 23 mile island. They sold their house, quit their jobs, and took their 4 suitcases with them. For 2 years, they lived on their profits from their American dream. Meager surroundings, and simple lives, they made a life with each other, one a native who understands the tribal French dialect, and the other a Midwestern American girl. She was timid, a minority, and faithful to their marriage.
If I did not say, they have a mission. You see, they are both devoted Christians. He has a passion for his part of that small island with 300 people and 4 different churches. Among the devout on the island is a huge wall, it is called "religion". You might think that should unite people, but in that small population, it only is a distinction that divides. It makes social enemies within the small paradise and simple island. A native husband never shared this deep sadness about his home, but in love she wanted to help share the truth of love and grache their God offers.
She is indeed a champion to support his dreams. He is passionate, but holds his insecurities close. The American dream money ran out. Let's head back to the midwest, where a respice awaits in the heartlands with mom and dad. After regaining their strength, and will, they search to find employment to raise money, but back in Florida, a short hop from their mission. In Florida, they live in a rental car for 3 days to finally find a job and get an apartment. They motto has become, if it can not fit in my four bags or my car, then we don't need it. The material possessions will only slow down their passage back to the isand.
Midwestern mom and dad want to visit. Now I know who uses furniture rental. They sleep on a swimming float mattress, and mom and dad need real furniture. Amazingly, you can have them come in, set it up, and come back in 4 days to take it back again. Mom and dad come to realize that their desire to return to the island is certain.
Back in Dominica, they have a few dollars saved again. They have rented a basement from an acquantence. In a few days less than a year, the money has run out. Daily diets are a variety of banannas, islands fruits, and oats. The people they so urgently want to love shun them as not part of their "click". He is passionate. She seems sad and disheartened. Her only solice is that she is faithful to whom she loves.
A BREAKTHROUGH....midwest mom and dad decide to offer investment into the dream. Build an apartment complex to house medical college students. Unfortunately, the infrastructure we so readily enjoy in America is not a delight of Dominica. Husband and wife must sacrifice again. He resides in Dominica now, sleeping in a new basement of concrete. Last night was animal night, two mice and some millipedes. The "bed" of a sheet of plywood is raised now onto 2 cynder blocks. He helps manage construction and applies his limited construction talents toward the job, while she is working in the midwest again under the roof of mom and dad. They communicate via text messaging and a 50 minute calling card that is rationed to last for the whole month.
They have LET GO. My pre-occupation with a new bed, getting TiVO set up, the perfect LCD flat panel that I dream of, a vacation in the middle of cold-cold winter is so simple minded. I have felt so mad at him for dragging my friend into a poor impoverished condition. She has lines of worry, and sadness about her. Her spirit seems so broken and weak.
What I began to notice last night was that her sadness was not for herself, but us. She is back in America, a country that she loves dreadfully, but clearly sees that we are clinging to our American dream so hard that it is draining our joy and peace. She has lost weight, lived without food and shelter, and her sadness is not because of missing her opportunity, but that we can not see that simplicity allows you to find joy in many more things. She has found that the less she has, that the more she has found to give.
So, I will LET GO of my pitty for her, and my resentment of him. I will instead reach for contentment in my wife, kids, cool techy toys, and awesome friends who love Dominica so much. I still want that perfect LCD flat panel with surround sound though. :-)
He was a stranger that we never really got to know too well. He was from Dominica, and was so laid back. There was never a moment that he seemed to get anxious over life, even when you thought that certainly he should be. Well, they are in love, and who knows, maybe that's all they need.
Atlanta was not big enough. Dominica called them both to return to that 23 mile island. They sold their house, quit their jobs, and took their 4 suitcases with them. For 2 years, they lived on their profits from their American dream. Meager surroundings, and simple lives, they made a life with each other, one a native who understands the tribal French dialect, and the other a Midwestern American girl. She was timid, a minority, and faithful to their marriage.
If I did not say, they have a mission. You see, they are both devoted Christians. He has a passion for his part of that small island with 300 people and 4 different churches. Among the devout on the island is a huge wall, it is called "religion". You might think that should unite people, but in that small population, it only is a distinction that divides. It makes social enemies within the small paradise and simple island. A native husband never shared this deep sadness about his home, but in love she wanted to help share the truth of love and grache their God offers.
She is indeed a champion to support his dreams. He is passionate, but holds his insecurities close. The American dream money ran out. Let's head back to the midwest, where a respice awaits in the heartlands with mom and dad. After regaining their strength, and will, they search to find employment to raise money, but back in Florida, a short hop from their mission. In Florida, they live in a rental car for 3 days to finally find a job and get an apartment. They motto has become, if it can not fit in my four bags or my car, then we don't need it. The material possessions will only slow down their passage back to the isand.
Midwestern mom and dad want to visit. Now I know who uses furniture rental. They sleep on a swimming float mattress, and mom and dad need real furniture. Amazingly, you can have them come in, set it up, and come back in 4 days to take it back again. Mom and dad come to realize that their desire to return to the island is certain.
Back in Dominica, they have a few dollars saved again. They have rented a basement from an acquantence. In a few days less than a year, the money has run out. Daily diets are a variety of banannas, islands fruits, and oats. The people they so urgently want to love shun them as not part of their "click". He is passionate. She seems sad and disheartened. Her only solice is that she is faithful to whom she loves.
A BREAKTHROUGH....midwest mom and dad decide to offer investment into the dream. Build an apartment complex to house medical college students. Unfortunately, the infrastructure we so readily enjoy in America is not a delight of Dominica. Husband and wife must sacrifice again. He resides in Dominica now, sleeping in a new basement of concrete. Last night was animal night, two mice and some millipedes. The "bed" of a sheet of plywood is raised now onto 2 cynder blocks. He helps manage construction and applies his limited construction talents toward the job, while she is working in the midwest again under the roof of mom and dad. They communicate via text messaging and a 50 minute calling card that is rationed to last for the whole month.
They have LET GO. My pre-occupation with a new bed, getting TiVO set up, the perfect LCD flat panel that I dream of, a vacation in the middle of cold-cold winter is so simple minded. I have felt so mad at him for dragging my friend into a poor impoverished condition. She has lines of worry, and sadness about her. Her spirit seems so broken and weak.
What I began to notice last night was that her sadness was not for herself, but us. She is back in America, a country that she loves dreadfully, but clearly sees that we are clinging to our American dream so hard that it is draining our joy and peace. She has lost weight, lived without food and shelter, and her sadness is not because of missing her opportunity, but that we can not see that simplicity allows you to find joy in many more things. She has found that the less she has, that the more she has found to give.
So, I will LET GO of my pitty for her, and my resentment of him. I will instead reach for contentment in my wife, kids, cool techy toys, and awesome friends who love Dominica so much. I still want that perfect LCD flat panel with surround sound though. :-)
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