Tag: technology

I think blogging is probably done now.

I have just too many hobbies and as Sir Ken Robinson puts it:

“I’m frying an egg in here!”

If I take just a few minutes to think about what I would rather do with my free time:

 

  • Read a book with my kid
  • Spend time with my wife
  • Fix my house
  • Study hacks
  • Tweet
  • Read the news
  • Exploit #KRACK on the neighbors Wifi to get a better connection speed
  • Borrow Mr. Robot Season 3 from the Internet
  • Watch Mr. Robot Season 3
  • Delete Mr. Robot Season 3

 

It’s pretty clear that maintaining a blog is not my strong suit. It’s not my go to. It’s a thing I thought I should do to build a better more robust online presence. Not worth the time commitment.

This is specifically true in light of a narrative essay II had to write now that I’m back attending classes at a university. My desire to not be anonymous on the Internet and my desire to share what I actually think are often contradictory. This either makes me a phony or a sellout. Not sure which, but I can’t let this site just linger.

I setup that Certbot instance and got LetsEncrypt certificates started issuing over 4 months ago. What I have done since then? Certainly not put one on this site…sure I have considered moving it to Azure since I have a sweet deal on space. I could spin up a *nix VM and just make my life easier…. but would it really? I would learn a lot and it would be great…. but…. eh? Why bother.

I can’t use the Internet as a way to promote my technical skills *AND* as a platform for openly sharing my beliefs in equality, social justice, decriminalization of drugs, spirituality, and other topics that have nothing to do with my professional career. I’m locked out of deep sharing online because I too need to pay bills and have to maintain a very distinct professional edge.

TheWayBackMachine still has a lot of wonderful things I shared. I think I may commit this in that direction soon as well. Perhaps a few years from now when I’ve a few more zeros at the end of the account I’ll feel more comfortable sharing openly with the universe once again.

 

Pile of product for wireless network

Wireless network setup: Day 1

Tablets for the Oldsters

This week I’m volunteering at my favorite non-profit Elderhaven, setting up a wireless network and teaching the elderly residents of the care home how to Skype.

We originally thought of this project several months ago when a grant opportunity was announced for Southern Arizona-based non-profts that deal with the issues of aging. The idea lay dormant for a few weeks after we didn’t make the grant cut. But the idea had merit, and I decided when trying to do the next annual Arizona Gives Day fundraiser, we should bring the project back. Instead of copying and pasting all the “please donate” text from the previous years, I suggested that Elderhaven take a different approach to donations.

The plan that was formulated included fundraising for the distinct goal of reducing the isolation many of the elderly residents feel in their old age. We wanted to use modern technology to bring a new mechanism for human connection into their lives. And so the plan was born.

We ran the Arizona Gives Day campaign not as a general fundraiser, but as a platform for money to go directly to the “Tablets for the Elderly project at Elderhaven.” Over the course of 24 hours we raised $1425 towards the project. Although this amount was only a fraction of the way to our goal, it was enough to adopt Plan B where yours truly installs the wireless network and develops the training.

 

It’s going to be a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Here’s what Plan B *really* looked like until I flew in this AM)

(totally taken from boardgamegeek.com)
(totally taken from boardgamegeek.com)