the weblog of m.kelley

The original mkelley.net lasted from 2000 until October 2005 and a few different variations on different sites until I decided to merge everything together and relaunch the site you see today.

Merging 5 years (1,300 posts) from Movable Type and then another 1,400 posts from other MT, WordPress & Tumblr sites was quite a feat but it’s well worth having 9 years of blogging in one location (I did something similar back in 2002, combining handcoded, Blogger and ancient blog system formats). It was an occasionally odd project, where I wound up reading some really stupid shit from 7 years ago. At times, it was also emotional because I put so much into those first few years and so much happened from 2000 until 2002 (major illness, moving, 9/11, marriage, being laid-off, etc).

My main goal for having a site to begin with, was to archive my life for not only myself but to my family. I gave up hope for a few months, where I thought I lost all copies of these early databases. But a last minute discovery put this project back on track and ultimately met my goals.

I normally do not like website welcome messages, but Welcome Back to mkelley.net!

A couple of weeks ago, I started taking a serious look at ways to be creative or to hone/redevelop my skills. I’ve been good on the music scene, playing in bands which draw the best from me and keep my blood ‘a moving. On everything else, I’ve been lacking and that’s where I’m going to build from.

The Chattarati project is where I want to give a lot more creativity towards but my writing concepts are still undeveloped and I’ve hit a bit of a wall-slash-block about new ideas. I use to be able to pound out a creative in just a few minutes. The brain was moving, but I also had a lot of undisturbed time to create. Now, not so much. Lots at work, lots of distractions, lots going on in life.

At home, I’m always a big fan of laptops. I’ve had over a dozen in my 14 years of owning computers. I like the ability to surf or write from a couch or outdoors but recently, I just found I’m unable to get anything done. I’ve started looking back at where I use to write/design/etc and really miss the concept of a “monk’s cell”…where you have a quiet, neutral place to create. I stole the idea from Jerry Pournelle.

I said all of that to say that I’m contemplating getting another desktop computer (iMac). I do well in quiet places, I can zone-in and write, make pretty pictures or music. I have the right spot and believe I just need something simple. I’m being honest, when I say the laptop became my TV and a major time-suck.

Along with that kinda geeky way, I’m also trying to take photos daily. I find that photography is a great way to spark some ideas and to exercise my brain. Makes me analyze a scene and find different ways to capture an image or a texture or just a moment.

• Chattarati

I think I’m the last one to blog about this, but I’ve been working with John Hawbaker and Joe Lance (along with a few amazing other people) on Chattarati. It’s got such great potential and talent going in, and we have a lot of big plans. Go visit and enjoy!

• Ten jobs that pay $20 an hour – CNN.com

When I see articles like this one, I realize how humble and appreciative one should be. Had a discussion with a co-worker about giving back to people. He mentioned how he was upper income in relation to his neighbors and felt like he should give back. It led me back to a discussion about the Georgia county where I was born and raised. A few years back, I worked with a lot of demographic data and starting working on income levels. Here I was, mid-20′s and made more than the average resident of Walker County. I felt humble immediately.

Because who am I? Really, I build websites and work with people. I’m not special. I do work hard but it’s not like I’m working in a mill or outdoors all day. I sit in an air conditioned townhouse on a comfy couch. I don’t live above my means but I sure have a better life than a lot of people. I know I make more than most public school teachers and here I am without a college degree and a horrible hatred of algebra. So what can I do to give back?

Football – Etowah, August 18, 2006 – 20060818-ETOWAH-17

My nephew is the white kid in the center in blue and my skinny white knees are on the top left.

6 year-old kids, playing football in 98 degree heat….won 21/ 0

I’ve started a project called Casanet. I’ve setup a Backpack page to get my ideas together and as a place to also see if anyone has any better ideas.

It’s stuff like this, that I think about during my drive and walk to the office.

Based on Jason Kottke’s post, “Five quotes“, here are 5 (ok, 8) quotes that define me or some of my beliefs….

There is no nonsense so gross that society will not, at some time, make a doctrine of it and defend it with every weapon of communal stupidity. – Robertson Davies

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting. – e e cummings

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. – confucius

I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music. – George Eliot (1819 – 1880)

The only way to have a friend is to be one. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information. – Oscar Wilde

Humility is the embarrassment you feel when you tell people how wonderful you are. – Laurence J. Peter

You never find yourself until you face the truth. -Pearl Bailey (1918 – 1990)

Brief Updates:

- Went to Atlanta last week for watch the DCI semi-finals. Ate some nice Cuban sandwiches from a little grocery store near Ga. Tech (Kool Korner). Visited some great little places and got to hang out with my best friend for the first time in years. I’ve known this guy for over half of my life….

- I also got to hang out with my other best friend, you know her/you love her, EvD..of the dearly departed site, Oblogation. She had one of the best ideas for a Powerpoint, basically cutting up musical bits to relate to the slides. “American Woman” as the music for the sexual harassment slide, Skynard’s “What’s Your Name” for new employee orientation…although my suggestion of Devo’s “Whip It” for the corporal punishment was quickly vetoed. We would download songs and just crack up about how this would work. It was honestly one of the best times I’ve had in a long time.

- I’m working more with AJAX technology….it’s really not bad. I have a few enhancements here, that when time finally allows, will be interesting to say the least. We’re using it heavily with both our new consumer site and our new portal….using it with Java and .NET and plain old HTML. I should point out that I am not a “real” programmer, I’ve picked up pieces along the way. I’m a little scared, but my boss has signed me up for a Java struts class, so maybe I’ll have more programming education coming my way.

As of June 18th, I’ve been blogging for 6 years, last week. It was very fitting that I forgot my blog anniversary, since I haven’t been too sure about continuing. I’m burned out and no longer enjoy doing a lot of things I’ve enjoyed doing in the past.

I told EvD that I’ve been thinking about tipping the sacred cow and closing down this site. I have things I want to blog about, but so many people are blogging about them too that I honestly feel like I’m wasting my time.

But enough of my bitching.

Eventually, I’m going to start blogging like I use to. I’ve been reading through some old posts, reading from 2000-2005 my June & July posts. And I see how much I’m missing. Maybe it’s really just looking back at the fire of youth, not that 6 years is an eternity, but a lot happens. Worlds change.

My best friend through high school was someone I loved for years…….I loved her like a sister. As she went down a bad path, I went along another. We split and only spoke a couple of times in about 13 or so years. I even went through a phase where I didn’t want anyone in the family to speak her name. Finally I stopped thinking about her.

I was so much a part of her family, and she mine, that I still think of her brother as my brother and her mom as my 2nd mom. My mom and her mom were best friends. So when I lost her, I felt I lost that 2nd family.

Last summer, I received an email from her. Her mom was diagnosed with cancer and they weren’t too sure that she would recover. It wasn’t looking good and she wasn’t doing too well. Her mom, while a tough-ass woman, was pretty weak. My friend, thought that having my mom around again would be good for the spirit.

My mom wasn’t doing well either, sickness and financial stuff kicking her ass, it made me break down when I heard about my friend’s request and hurt even more when I had to break the news. I made sure my mom knew and I had to not even think of emailing her….

Ok, almost a year later. My 2nd mom is kicking ass and has a lot of energy. My mom is doing better and (thanks to myspace), I’ve started talking to my friend again. We’re going to have lunch for the first time in over a decade and that makes me feel happier than felt in a while. Feel like doing the Snoopy Dance.

Life isn’t peachy, but it’s getting better….