This year I am not making any long term goals other than I am just going to try stuff. I have always wanted to get more creative, draw stuff, feel really passionate about art and have a creative practice. Where to start, take art classes, sign up for a creative coach? Well I can do all of those things !!!

One of the things I remembered seeing on the web are examples of people creating beautiful artwork  in Moleskine Notebooks. I am not there but I will be.

My personal mantra is “Be A Wierdo”.

I love you Jenkins-CI

Jenkins Home Page

I have been working for this non profit Hesperian Health Guides and they recently upgraded their website. I came on board roughly 3 months before the project was completed (every IT Manager/Project Manager nightmare) and was tasked with trying to get everything running smoothly.

Currently they are developing/have developed/using a third party service for:

• Main Website
• Image Library (Hesperian has thousands of images that are use in their materials)
• Adaptation Tool – This is one of the coolest web apps allowing people to create health materials on the fly
• Wiki – an online repository of all of Hesperian’s Books (well not all but is slowly happening)

With all of this I have to track web changes, have some sort of version control, and traffic police all the changes that happen to the different components

Enter Jenkins CI! I really love the open source movement and got these two books onJenkins: The Definitive Guide and Integrating PHP Projects with Jenkins (get them from Amazon). So let me start of by saying I had no idea about Jenkins other than what I read but I knew it could solve the coding on the live production server problem that this organization had.

I read the books and was able to install and set up my build server but the thing that drove me crazy was user permissions on Ubuntu. Thank god I was using rackspace as a host and they are trying to figure that out.

All this to say that if you are a non profit with a heavy intensive web strategy using a build server and an SCM will save you a lot of headache and worry

Malidoma Some
you live in a culture of the ungrieved dead

Anne Lamott
My mind is like a bad neighborhood I don’t go there alone

I am not a quote guy but these 2 really hit home and resonated with me for most of last year. I heard them on a buddhist podcast as I was transitioning from a technical consultant to working for an IT manager and they helped with what was a stressful transition (employment insecurity sucks). Hope they help you….

I have a hard time concentrating. I know I am not alone, and by all the stuff on the web about Procrastination, a lot of people have the same trouble. Lately I have been listening to free podcasts on my Iphone (you like how I dropped that in there yes … iphone…).

The way Buddhist teachers describe the state of mindfulness and even breathing exercises helps me slow down and concentrate in way that I get stuff done. Ultimately I get stuff done.

My favorite podcasts come from a retreat center close to me in Marin, CA called Spirit Rock. Try them out, I am not getting paid for endorsements in any way .

These are 2 images of the office as it slowly closes. There are people here on the other side and they are still working as the deadline looms for this office to close. For all of this company talk about valuing employees, I notice that there is nothing here to try and improve moral.

I have been inspired in the last 3 hours to get my bachelors degree and to continue to pursue my dreams. I don’t know how I am going to do it but I want to value people I work with better than this. 

Change is painful for me, I like things to be known and quantifiable. At the same time I want excitement, working with people who are committed and smart. The dream job is a group of people who get to use technology and artistry and love their job.

This picture definitely makes me want something different……

I saw this story  and was immediately inspired:

My First Million: Bob Williamson, Horizon Software International and Honey Lake Plantation

You see last week I got some bad news, I found out my biggest client (my only client) was discontinuing my contract. I had worked for this company for 3 years had been with them thru thick and thin and the emotional impact was immediate. I felt like I was losing a job and betrayed.

The interesting thing is I did not particularly like this gig. I felt the company was not adequately addressing the needs and issues of the Systems Support team and it was adversely affecting its clients. I had made some suggestions to fix these issues and they were not addressed. So I was frustrated, to say the least.

I still have a very visceral reaction though to this assignment ending. There is a lot uncertainty and it is causing fear and anxiety in me and my family. I then saw this article. The power of faith,acceptance and striving is what I needed. I am starting to remember my intelligence, my smarts, my “hustle”. These things are going to see me and my family through. I am still scared but I have a sliver of hope.

Unrest spreads in Jamaica – CNN.com

I am freaked out about the violence going on in Jamaica. I look at some of the images and know exactly where this is; down to the Pizza Hut sign. Don’t get me started as what the heck is Pizza Hut doing in Jamaica. Nah bredren!! babylon bread  gwan kill you. My Dad is in Jamaica, my stepbrother, stepsister (Stepmom in Boston Whew). My Two friends who I knew as small boys are there. I haven’t heard from them yet.

The crazy thing about all this, I mean the absolutely crazy making thing is as I am feeling all this. I get a call from a co-worker and he are talking about some work. I don’t even remember  how the conversation turned but he says “aren’t you used to it I, Don’t  they just have huts in Jamaica? Isn’t that where you lived?” I actually called him a name and lost my cool in the joking crazy way. You know what I am talking about immigrants when someone says something derogatory about your home you kind of laugh it off, or go silent. I had to do a lot of work just to feel like I could tell him that was a dumb fucking thing to say. I still feel it worry and anger wrapped up in my chest, waiting for me to jump up and down on someone. Then I remember the strength of my Jamaican grandfather. I don’t know much of his life I just knew I was around him for some very formative years in my life. He seemed strong/ calm/ powerful and he didn’t need to get mad (mostly). His Power seemed about surviving, working for his family, doing the best he could. He is what I remember most/long for the most about Jamaica.

Jamaica remember your strength, your power, put down the guns. Resolve it, whatever it is, calmly, strongly and with the conviction everything will work out.

Love you my Island