December 30, 2007

• The Purge

  First, I would like to throw out a link to DriveImage XML, which is a nice little way to image your drive, which means to make a backup of your drive exactly the way it is.  This is great for when you have everything installed, and want the ability to go back to square one later on.  This should not be confused with making regular backups of your data.

  As I mentioned, in my “Christmas Report” entry, I recently had a hard drive crash and basically lost all of my data.  This unfortunate turn of events essentially sped up a process that I call “The Purge”.  In simple terms, it’s the point where I start simplifying my life by removing people from it.  I think this one is either the third or fourth large scale one.  There are individual ones here and there.  Large ones usually require a life-altering event, however, losing everyone’s contact info seems to cause the same thing.

  A few examples of a normal purge would be “Well, I never talk to this person, so I can remove them from Myspace,” “This person never calls, so I won’t be getting them anything for their birthday of Christmas,” (Christmas, alone, I saved about $200 in gifts.), and “I’ll keep this person’s info, but I’m never calling them again, because I’m making all the effort here.”  

  People at West Point experience that last one a lot.  Your friends never call you, and the one time a month or every two weeks that you have to call them, they are too busy take a few minutes to talk.  Not just “right now” but every time you call them.  I experienced this from time to time when I was in Italy and Afghanistan.

  Me: Hey, how’s it going?
  They: Oh, hi.  Things are good.  Hey, I’m getting ready to go to the mall, so can you call back another time.  (That’s great when you have a 6 or 9 hour time difference, so you stayed up until midnight so you could call them at a reasonable hour.  They may also ask if they can call you back, which never happens).
  Me: Yeah, sure (You pompous fucking prick, the mall can’t wait 10 fucking minutes?!).

  Hell, I was friends with someone for the past 12 years, and I even went to their wedding earlier this year, but I realize that I was the only person really staying in touch.  In fact, I didn’t even know that they were engaged, until I decided to give them a call after not hearing from them for a few months. 

  I’m not even upset about the one-way gifting.  Everyone has different financial situations, and I really want you to read this damn book or watch this movie, so I’m sending it to you.  I think I did this to Jarrad with the movies Equilibrium and Appleseed, and Jarrad has done it to me concerning Naruto.  Holy crap, I’m hooked on Naruto.

  In this case, the purge works in reverse.  I now have to go out and get the information of the people that I know.  

  Black 6, out.

  • 1:42 pm
  • 3 Comments