Soft shelled crab with soba noodles…
Archive for May, 2006
New Orleans visit
May 16, 2006
I just came back from a business trip to New Orleans, LA. I got to see the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and what it’s done to this city, first-hand. It is a REALLY sad sight to see. I created a separate blog to journal the trip…
As a result of this trip, I’m now a HUGE fan of Habitat for Humanity
openSUSE 10.1 ships!
May 16, 2006If you’re into Linux, you’ll be interested to know that openSUSE 10.1 is now shipping. You can download it for free at http://www.opensuse.org or buy it at a retailer or online.
openSUSE 10.1 is the foundation for what will become SUSE Linux Enterprise family of products — Server, Desktop, Point of Service… so this is an important milestone to reach.
I wish they had the DVD version available for download though…
Giving back… with Habitat for Humanity
May 13, 2006As an addendum to our business meetings on Thursday and Friday, one of my colleagues also organized an opportunity to contribute to Habitat for Humanity. They’re a Christian based organization, but are non-denominational and are chartered to help erradicate low cost housing. You can read more on their website to learn what they’re all about.
As you can see here, this part of New Orleans could use some serious “fixing up”
Basically, they get volunteers and prospective recipients to contribute time, energy, and know-how to build brand new houses for qualifing individuals and families. There are some requirements to receive: must be below a certain income level, must have a steady income to be able to pay off a zero-interest loan, and must contribute time and energy to the construction of the homes.
It was really a lot of fun for me. I worked on putting together the floor joists of a couple homes, while others in our group did everything from painting to pouring concrete for the foundation. I loved the chance to get my hands dirty on such a project, and for such a great cause.
In New Orleans, the project we worked on was called Musician’s Village and is intended to provide a community centered around music — included many homes and a community center.
My company, Novell, not only mustered up about 75 volunteers for a day’s worth of labor, but also a hefty $25,000 contribution to the cause. Plus, we held our mid-year event in New Orleans, LA partially to help out the local economy as best we could. And from what we could tell by being there, they could use all the help they can get. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with this group!
I’m really thankful that I got a chance to contribute here. It was definitely a humbling experience, and my heart goes out to those who we’re helping. I wish I had time to contribute more regularly!
