I'll be the first to admit that my personality doesn't fit that of a stereotypical geek, but then again it's all relative to the basis of comparison. When I lived and worked in Raleigh it seemed like everyone was to some form of high tech. At any given gathering I could immediately strike up a conversation about the latest gadget or application, and more importantly pick up otherwise unknown tech tidbits. Later, when I moved back to Charlotte, I found myself less in the company of geeks but still among folks who knew a thing or two about technology. I still managed to pick up a few things but mostly I found myself explaining the latest tech to interested ears. The burden of keeping current quickly fell on me, but thankfully there are many reliable resources on the web and elsewhere.

Unfortunately I somehow have found myself in a downward spiral of tech. My annual toy budget shrank under the demands of family life and frequently I found myself in the company of parents and neighbors who had little interest in high-tech and have no inclination to learn. Aside from two or three friends that I talk to outside of work I rarely pick up anything new. It's both frustrating and understandable at the same time. Not everyone is into tech gadgets or the latest Web 2.0 website and that's fine. Sadly the void of the tech savvy is enough to make you play dumb and pretend you know nothing, and by in large the experience is not limited to tech.

I increasingly find that most folks, at least in my age and life experience bracket, have no desire to learn or try something new. For them the day to day grind is an exercise in survival and anything beyond is simply too much to handle. Learning is seen as a necessary evil which is used only in the continuing quest to strike it rich. Rarely is the pursuit of knowledge perceived as a lifelong task which enhances the experience and enjoyment of life.

For better or worse we have to accept the reality of our current situation and to be considerate of others and their varying tastes. Still I feel we do a great disservice to ourselves by accepting brain drain to be an inevitable part of our place in life. Whether we suffer from physical or psychological desolation we all need to make a point to venture forth in search of new inspiration and those of like mind with which to share it. Otherwise we will simply rest easy and become stagnant eventually transforming ourselves into an uninteresting and unhappy person that no one wants to be around.

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Over two days

Quick update on the Passat generator repair. Friday night I managed to put the car in the "service lock position" which consists of tearing down the bumper cover and removing about twenty screws and bolts. Saturday I took the generator, which I'd removed the night before, to AutoZone and they confirmed it was bad. Luckily I'd convinced them to order a replacement in advance so they quickly swapped out the parts and I headed home. Later that evening I replaced the unit and reassembled the car. All in all about five hours for the job plus the extra hour or so I spent checking for bad grounding connections.

I'm still waiting on my next shipment of parts to arrive but I already have the CV Joint / Axle assembly ready for the change out on the 5th. The plan is to "borrow" my dad's lift to make the job easier and to replace a return hose on the power steering reservoir and an ABS wheel speed sensor. Thought I was kidding about the car maintenance issues huh? So were my neighbors but now they've started to deride the Volkswagen and calling me Mr. Goodwrench.

Ahh, what the hell I'll take it

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With fuel prices over $4 a gallon nearly everyone is trying to save gas these days. This week's Friday site doesn't just give you hints for better fuel economy it also helps you track your mileage. CleanMPG is a forum for hypermilers to share gas saving tips and to take pride in achieving fuel economy well in excess of the EPA estimates.

I admit that some of the techniques can be a bit odd or even dangerous but others are valuable especially for folks who are caught driving a car or SUV with a less than stellar MPG rating. As one columnist noted these days it may be more cost effective to simply squeeze a few more miles out of tank than to incur the transaction cost of unloading a gas guzzling beast.

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Despite the responsibility there are few life and death scenarios. Though we occasionally get a wake up call at 3am, unlike doctors we IT people rarely deal with situations where life hangs in the balance. Sure a server may crash and burn but no one is going to be injured unless they happen to be sitting atop the unit when it goes.

The downside, pay grade aside, is that unlike doctors we do not have a fully stocked medical supply closet from which we can produce any tool we need or so desire. Scarcity of resources is one of the most frustrating things about working in tech. There are never enough computer cycles, system memory or hours in the day to get everything done. Technology is often left in service well beyond its expected life and is often retrofitted instead of replaced so as to save money in the short term.

Still despite the downside I still look forward to coming into work and rarely dread the impending crisis of the day. If only I could have the same attitude when home electronics or automobiles fail.

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