sandals & the fubar
I just found out that Josh Neal passed away last week. To say the least, it was a shock. He was only 2 years older than me, so whatever caused his death certainly could not have been natural. Anyway, Josh was responsible for getting me the relocation offer from VA to move out to California back in early 2001. For good or bad (depending on whom you ask), if it weren't for Josh, I'd very likely still be living somewhere back east. Plus, he was the first person I met after VA hired me in late 2000. All of that is beside the point, Josh was a unique person (in every possible way), and he was damn sharp. He was a role model of sorts, and certainly played a significant part in my technical growth. Josh had a notoriously hot temper, and I was present the time that he bashed in a phone, and also when he destroyed a keyboard against a steel support beam. I spoke with him just a few weeks back right before he quit at Splunk. Josh certainly hopped jobs like no other. He had little patience for laziness or incompetence, and seemed to not care about having steady employment as long as he was standing up for his principles. Josh will be missed.