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FreeBSD GNOME Project Site Open For Business
Joe Marcus Clarke writes: "The FreeBSD GNOME project is proud to announce the opening of our
project site. This site
is devoted to the GNOME desktop and its development on FreeBSD." While the port is an ongoing project, quite a few applications are ready, as are instructions on putting GNOME on your FreeBSD box.
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I never thought I had people to look towards as guidance within my family when I was growing up. Being an inappreciative son who was, to put it bluntly, spoilt beyond all belief, it is a shame that upon leaving the wing of my parents, how much of their greatness did I realize I overlooked.
Growing up I never wanted to be straight-edged. I always wanted to bend the rules, get around them, make them work for me. Stringent upbringing at a catholic household coupled with strong Chinese tradition can be overbearing, especially when the parents were unwilling to bend their morales to please anyone.
I guess I inherited their stubbornness, and neither party was willing to concede. Still they supported me for the duration at college, until father could no longer tolerate the wastefulness of my ways. I ended up dropping out, thought I was good at IT, and could live without his monetary supply.
Well, I live without his monetary supplies, but just because I was a geek, an above average geek, didn't mean I was great one. Humility came hard, and my folks' reasoning over the course of my upbringing echoed throughout the last 2 years. Wonders what hindsight does to ones perspective.
Neither mom nor dad ever took 2nd place in their achievements, may it be academically, finicially nor moralistic. They were successful people in what they did, well known amongst their own professional community, and they never ever had to break a rule. They were upstanding citizens, they adhere to their morals and whilst they did once in awhile break a sweat whilst being prolific professionals and incredible parents, they succeeded admirably. I admire their resourcefulness, their intellectual capabilities and most of all I want to be as good a human being as they are. They succeeded in being outstanding parents, I was the one who was a tad 'late'.
Two years ago I left school and became a drifter. I had no means to afford the next meal. My father offered me one last opt out ticket. Come home, we'll make you work and give you guidance. I didn't take the ticket, I didn't take the compounding bribes bestowed on me from mother either. I stayed, reeled back to their teachings many years ago, and started to make sense of them. Their teachings had roots in other places, not all of it was original, but their explanations to me were never over wrought with detail. It was to the point, and in hindsight made perfect sense.
1. You don't have to break rules to win. Use them to your advantage, Play by them and hold your own. People respect you for it.
2. Never win for the sake of winning alone. You don't see grand masters venturing to coffee houses playing the worst players to satisfy their ego. You shouldn't have to do that to stroke yours either. Winning should take effort, cunning and intellect, otherwise the victory is worthless. (father taught me how to play chess and basketball)
3. There are free lunches, but it is rare. Always give back whenever you can.
4. Pissing off mom will end up getting back to dad. Never will father escape the sharp end of the stick. This goes for negotiating with any couple. Piss off the woman, and you won't get what you want.
5. There is a time and a place for everything. Pick the right time, the right place and the right approach. As quoted from the person who cited Dorothy Parker as one of his heros, getting away with something outrageous involves some sort of a masquerade as to hide the true nature of said action. Pick your masquerade carefully if you are going to escape the wrath of your audience, especially if you demand them to do something for you.
6. Never step on people unless you absolutely have to, and if you do, make sure they deserve it.
7. If you are to step on someone, make damn sure they can never ever ever hurt you back.
8. There are three things that are important in life, and they go in descending order of importance. These are Family, Integrity and money. They are often at conflict and seldom do you get all three in your favor. Always strive for the first and second ideals. Money alone is never a reason enough.
9. Nobody can do the job with as much thoroughness as you want them to do it. Try and do as much on your own.
10. Broaden the horizons of your knowledge base. You can't know too much about anything. Have fun learning and try to act as humble as possible in public.
11. If someone bothers to take the time to teach you something, listen carefully, pay attention, especially if they are good at it.
12. Never depend your success on someone elses' fuck-up.
13. Keep to your rules of conduct and stand by your own opinions. If you are right, people will see why, even if they won't admit it. If you are wrong, change your mind. Be flexible.
14. Never let people's praises cloud your judgment. Humility not only comes from your peers, but from your own envisionment of perfection. Strive to be as close to your idea of perfection as possible, enjoy getting there. The blood, sweat and toil are the most satisfying.
15. Do what makes you happy
The record is clear on one thing: no operating system has ever come back from the grave. Efforts to resuscitate *BSDre one step away from spiritualists wishing to communicate with the dead. As the situation grows more desperate for the adherents of this doomed OS, the sorrow takes hold. An unremitting gloom hangs like a death shround over a once hopeful *BSD community. The hope is gone; a mournful nostalgia has settled in. Now is the end time for *BSD.