Alan’s Kiloblog

This is an ongoing blog entry. It’s going to be a wierd one. I don’t have anything to say about it yet, but the topic is, what’s my appeal?

Ah, yes, an exploration of my new found vanity. This ought to be unpleasant for all spectators. Here’s my first thought…

The Bigger Better Deal

In Texas, coming back down from some point toward Waco, where David had blow out the other David’s Beetle. A dispute raging about whether or not the oil cap had been replaced. The other David and I were out to investigate, maybe restart.

The 1600cc is warped, siezed, hopeless.

We’re on our way back to to Austin.

We stop at a rest area. There’s a church group there, giving out cookies and juice. I’m perplexed. Not the way we do thing in Michigan. Chruch groups are the last thing you think of when you think Interstate rest area.

This disparity is very much on my mind, as I’m chatting with an an attractive older woman, she’s perhaps twenty-three year of age. She asks where we’re coming from.

A blown Beatle South of Waco doesn’t sound half as good as what’s very much on my mind, Detroit. I start telling her that the other David and I have been kicking around the Murder City, checking out the techno scene, and relate an anecdote, borrowed from my high-school pal Julian, who really did know how to live life.

We walk back to my Ford Escort Wagon for the last half hour of I-35.

She must have been enthralled. Not that I’d ever notice. David said as much. I look at him askance. Yeah? Yeah. She was into you. Yeah? Yeah.
You’re the bigger, better deal.

It became a refrain.

Update: This Morning’s Clue

Perhaps, I’m appealing because of my conversations. It’s either the ideas in the conversations, or the people with whom I’m conversing.

The former is quite obvious. Ideas, communicated, have an appeal. The latter is not so obvious. It’s not who you know, it’s who trusts you.

There was a meeting held at Oswald’s, formerly El Matador, where a police Chief answered community questions. This event was emceed by Harry Anderson, the New Orleans street performer, turned television actor. He an a fellow, uh, Jimmy, uh, last name slips, were more or less hilarious. The meeting was packed with Quarter residents. This is an affluent group. There were some rats like me. Christian brought me there.

The question for the Chief, who’s name slips, I’ll have to get it back, there were a lot of softballs. There was discussion of parking problems, which was about as petty as it got. There was discussion of corruption, which was very entertaining. The Chief fielded the questions well, honestly.

Afterwards, I’m finding myself getting ripped at the bar, making a mention of blogging these events. There was a camera there. It would have made an excellent Podcast, really. Mr. Anderson would have none of it. He noted that he still gets a hard time for buying the El Matador, and turning it into not the El Matador. Still. Post post K. It’s a nice venue, Oswald’s. That’s where I met Patrick and fell in with the Big Top folks.

Blogging this event. Well, why not? I’m talking with Christian about doing some Podcasting. He’s been working with Pacifica Radio, and he worked with New Orleans Indy Media on in the post K. He can help me with radio. There are a few other places where original content can be generated, and conversations held. I’m thinking that Think New Orleans should become a WordPress weblog, with the stuff I’ve done off to the side.

This I can flesh out in The Blogometer. The New Orleans postings can begin to be modeled on Ann Arbor Is Overrated. Maybe, I should contact AAIO herself and see how she does it.

She doesn’t clip stories from the Ann Arbor News, she pulls a key quote, and adds her own comment. It always seems to foster some discussion, and a sideways babbling about Ann Arbor happenings.

This is a model for a regional blogger. Need to study what makes her successful. What makes Ypsi~Dixit successful, and need to add Arbor Update to my blog roll.

Update: Local Politico Blogs

Now I need to find a way to develop software in small bites.

What bites most about my development environment? It’s pretty darn slow. I’m going to have to boost the power in my PowerBook until I can afford a new MacBook. Add some memory.

Otherwise, things are quite challenging with my Java work. I don’t know how I’ll ever manage to pursue everything I set out to do in 2005. Something is going to have to give.

It’s not that I don’t know what to do. In fact, I’m not too much of a stickler for design. I have a good sense of patterns, and apply them well enough. I’d like to get programs out to a point where they need more attention, where I have to worry about scale.

This is what is meant by optimize last.

This is a programmer’s office. How do I get an instant on, anywhere office? What are the components?

When can I say the following?

I am a highly productive programmer. I build software in small iterations, each one adding a new distinct value or feature to the product.

I create opportunities in any city I visit. I’m always able to spot opportunities to use technology to make people work more effeciently, and effectively. I can demonstrate this with tangable, measurable results.

I maintain relationships over with people all over the world. I’m able to collaborate with with other developers regardless of location.

Basically, how do I make a good solid show of it here in New Orleans.

Notes:

• Work from a list.
• How I hate charging by the hour.
• Promisies, promisies, the lifehack CRM.
• Instant on.

A Plymouth Volare with a 318 Lean Burn does not a a Road Runner make.