Now I am Become Hipster

When you're looking to make a statement, picking a venue stocked with the self absorbed is probably unwise.

But, y'know - screw it.

Took a long while to get to this point, and the roots go back farther than I realized.

I guess it started with an article on Wired. Something about that Temple bag stuck in my mind - but good. Now granted, I was never going to blow $500 on a stinking bag, but this was all about the idea.

I mean, I work in design. The ass-end, boring side of it to be sure. But there's this idea that if I'm supposed to be making things that are awesome, I should try to surround myself with some of that.

The Temple bag was all the poser crap writ large. You see, they build them out of surplus WWII duffel bags and (if you believe their video) are assembled by male models using a vintage sewing machine in some old loft apartment.

Y'know, because - bullshit.

But If I'm honest, that's where this idea got started. A cool bag, full of technical toys that will be my personal Bat Utility Belt.

Y'know, because I fight crime.

Anyway, ages ago, I got a license to shop on ThinkGeek.com and I stuck a toe in the water. Got me a Bag of Holding because it's a bag I can relate to on several levels. Next birthday, I bought a bluetooth keyboard for my phone, got the BookBook iPhone case from TwelveSouth and had a few trial runs at a local diner.

But it was not the full blown experience. The keyboard fit in my coat pocket, so I really didn't need to bring the bag. And there is a sad truth about wireless keyboard accessories - the sweet spot for use is a lot smaller than you might think.

For a mobile device, most times it's enough to type a quick reply with your thumbs. Unless you plan to write an epic email, getting out the bluetooth keyboard, syncing it up (and dealing the with odd stuck key moment) is a lot of hassle to support the edge case use.

Plus typing on a portable keyboard to support a iPhone sized screen looks (and feels) a bit dorky. I did manage to write some worthy emails to family, but my idealized blogging on my phone was sabotaged by Blogger's crap mobile UI.  I can only write in HTML? and your autosave always tells me my tags aren't closed? F- you Google.

So meh. A failed attempt. But I was never going to get there - I'm not buying a pen sized document scanner anyway. Especially when all the reviews talk about how its construction is so lousy.

But I got an iPad mini and its BookBook case and tried again. A worthy combination, and to any iPad types out there, I totally recommend the iPad BookBook. Solid case, stylish and very functional. If it had a spot to store earbuds it would be even better, but I can deal.

Still not the full blown jet-setting UX poser look I was gunning for.

But now the new gig wants me to work on a Mac, so I've bought the Mac. And it fits in the Bag of Holding, nicely - thank you.

I'm between jobs for today at least, and so I'm in a - gasp - Starbucks, making a full on poser out of myself. I'm re-connecting with Sensei and the Artist, 'cos they're awesome, and nothing to do but...

Whip out the laptop. I think I'll blog a bit - like you do.

A latte? What?

Don't mind if I do.

I might even push up my shades, slap some earbuds in and spool up the iPhone.

"Play Song - 'South Tacoma Way.'"

And there it is.

Blogging in a cafe on my laptop. The caffeine's wailing on my synapses and Neko's crushing it

It's the twilight of our old home...

Yeah, I'm shaved and mostly cleaned up, but I'm about as hip as I am capable of becoming. A look around confirms that nobody else around me knows I'm alive.

I'm part of the ambient cafe vibe.

But if the me of two years ago walked in right now he'd take one look at the now me and think.

I hate you so very very much. How are you sitting here on a weekday? Why don't you get a job?

And they'd have a point, and in a day or so - I will get a job, and go back to being responsible. I'll put all the iToys back in the bag and resume being a person who does useful things and could give a flying F*$% about what vibe they're throwing off.

A month ago I was a desperate wreck of a man.
But today, I get to while away some time in a cafe like some pain in the ass youngster.

We've memories for matinees
And the tears come warm and heavy
And the cross streets bear your name.

Fuckin' brilliant.

I so love today.