James Burgett of the Alameda County Computer Resource Center calls himself a ‘tattooed freak’ and a recovering drug addict, but CNN is calling him a hero for diverting tons of computers from landfills, installing Ubuntu Linux on them, and giving them out to schools, non-profits, and people who can’t otherwise afford one. Burgett’s filmed interview is currently leading a CNN contest among videos of ‘ordinary people’ whom CNN considers everyday heroes, narrowly edging out the video of a man who is saving gorillas from extinction. In his interview, Burgett points out that the people working for him are also recovering drug addicts or recovering mental illness patients.

He’s got my vote, too.

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