Alan Gutierrez

While browsing or reading blogs, I’d like an option to remind myself to read something in a few days, or tomorrow, or at the end of the day.

Usually, I’m reading though a list of stuff, and I’m trying to make it go away. Stopping and reading a long post or an article someone has sent me keeps that form happing.

My mind isn’t in the mindset to learn new things, or to consider creative actions in response to the message. How does this article, this post, or email message translate into something that I can do to make the world a better place?

I put it in a bucket somewhere, it becomes a task, something that I must do, and I already have enough things to do. If it reappears in my stream of information, it feels like it’s a living project. It gets me thinking about it. Eventually, it will occur to me, how this bit of information relates, or else I’ll grow tired of hearing about it.

That was my impression when I toddled about Washington D.C. eariler this year. It was for Publius, and I learned a lot, but it was hard to be away from New Orleans.

On the Metro, as you board, there is a recorded voice that requests that customers please step to the center, or sit, or whatever your supposed to do on a subway train.

The word caught me off guard. Customers. Somehow it felt unsettling. I didn’t buy my ticket and slink into subterrainian D.C. for a customer service experience. I sought transport.

I’d sign up to become a passenger on a train. There is an important distinction between between customers and passengers.

First of all, it’s not beneficial to you to do so, but few people will notice if you lose a customer.

It’s another matter to lose a passenger.

I fear the day that I hear a doctor say, “the customer is in critical condition, but she’s improving. We are providing her with the best service possbile.”

Shelly Midura cries during a City Council meeting because Mamma D called her “David Duke in a Dress”. At the moment of heartbreak, Shelly certianly had not drawn the lesson. When I ask my friends about it, their advice is, never let them see you cry.

Have I learned from Shelly’s mistakes? In tears, Shelly said “We need to put race beind us.” It must be hard for her to see how self-serving that sentiment is.

Update: Bart Everson corrects the course of events in the comments.

Update: This story about using MLK and Parks to sell pickups reminds me of the IG incident. If you don’t recall, she began by quoting King.

When I look at the Think New Orleans site statistics, traffic always plummets on the weekend, relative to the week. About a fifth of Wednesday traffic. Wednesday is always a busy day. My guess, the Internet is still an office tool in New Orleans. Also, who cares about the network when the players are away? There will be no messages from the city, state, feds, school boards, or planners.

Where do I discuss code? If I talk about it here, I’m going to have to update this template. There is no space to discuss code. There is no component for displaying code samples. In the past, I’ve posted on another blog regarding my software development, but…