Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Just a note to let you know we DID secure those computers in Indiana and will be leaving Sunday morning by truck to pick them up. We are extremely marginal on funding for fuel so if you are able, please think about donating a couple of dollars for diesel. You can do so on the left side of the page at blog of helios. Thanks so much...40 computers and 25 flat panels will push us over our need list for the year. - h
Martha Ochoa of Kyle Texas is in a position many American kids find themselves in. They live within a family that does pretty well, but they are caught in the "middle-class dilemma." They make too much 
money for student loans and grants yet they don't make enough to send their kids to college out of pocket.
It happens more often than any of us would think.
The middle-class dilemma.
We found out about Martha applying at Baylor University on a sports scholarship. From what we understand, she is in fairly good shape to receive it. Still, she is going to have to work to pay some of her way. We decided that we could help in a small way. We presented Martha with a killer laptop.
There is a short film clip of us delivering a computer to Martha. Please excuse the large mpeg file...the mp4 we uploaded to youtube is horrible and lags terribly.
In the years we've been doing this, we have found that it is not everyone who is comfortable being identified as receiving one of our machines. We make it well known that our efforts are geared toward those who are disadvantaged. Some people do not want to be identified as such and we understand that perfectly...so while we may do 10 installs a week, only three of them may give us permission to publish their information. We simply wanted you to know this so you do not expect a one-for-one reporting.
Now I say we...The HeliOS Project builds and delivers the computers, sure...but it's the people who support us that allow us to make it happen. I want to personally thank Gene and Wanda Lake for their continued support. Martha is extremely thankful as we told her you sponsored this laptop for her. Martha asked me to pass along my thanks to you.
Thank you Gene and Wanda Lake...thank you very much.
If you want to become a Linux Luminary and sponsor the install of a computer to a disadvantaged kid, you can do so by clicking here. The average install costs us 25.00
helios
7 comments:
I can understand not wanting to be identified. I would feel the same way. But I'm glad some people do. Ken, I never get tired of reading these stories. More than anything, and I really mean that, it builds my hope for the future of Linux. You are doing what one of the richest men in the World has failed to do. You are giving freedom to those who need it most. Thank you.
Mpeg? And an ungodly file size for a 5 minute clip? Here's an mp4 clip, upload it to youtube/vimeo if you wanna stream it. http://bit.ly/bNkiy
Thank you...didn't have much time to prepare anything but an mpeg...will upload the mp4 to the server and redirect the link.
h
Ken,
You did a great job in explaining "GNU" and I personally appreciate it. I am sure Richard would too.
I'd be Anonymous, too, if I made such an inane and ridiclous statement that has little to do with the blog, let alone the efforts Ken makes to get his/her hallowed GNU/Linux available to people. I would have thought a simple "thank you" would suffice.
For the record, I am a FSF member; No. 5030, if you want to look it up. I also own the California license plate GNU LNUX on a '94 Jetta that RMS has actually ridden in from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz and then from Santa Cruz to the San Francisco airport when he spoke in Santa Cruz in 2008.
While I call it GNU/Linux, I don't fault others for calling it Linux. A Chevrolet is called a Chevy -- most people call it by the latter, despite it still being officially the former. It's a mystery why FSF purists don't get this, just as it's a mystery that they haven't realized they lost this battle and should move on.
Also, I'm not sure RMS would want you to speak for him, but then again, you can ask him yourself. But while we're on the subject of speculating, it'd be hard to believe that he would object to a project like this.
Larry Cafiero <--not cowardly enough to hide anonymously
http://larrythefreesoftwareguy.wordpress.com
I did fail to mention in the clip that I shamelessly stole the Chevrolet/Chevy analogy from Larry Cafiero.
Copyright litigation ensues...
;-)
h
Ken, your work never ceases to inspire me. I cannot, due to physical limitations, do what you do but I can help those who want to make a difference. However I was a bit surprised. I had never seen a picture of you really before this and thought you to be a much younger man. Don't take that as an insult. I now know that you are in your mid-50's and I applaude you for keeping the machine oiled well enough to do the work you do. You are quite fit for your age...there I go again, risking an age-ism case.
Before I dig myself any deeper, I just want to say thanks for all you do for the kids. Someone above mentioned that you do what the richest men in the world will not...I think for the most part that is not quite true. Gates et al have done it but always with ulterior motive.
I find no such in your efforts and that is refreshing.
Tom Kline - Snowflake AZ
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