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8/4/2009 8:32:38 PM

Quote :

"Are you doing this in Raleigh?"

How about you read the thread, moron?

Quote :

"Sorry, I live in Oregon =) "

[Edited on August 4, 2009 at 10:01 PM. Reason : a]

8/4/2009 10:00:28 PM

Quote :

"And you should do another one offering to buy someone a beer. It would be interesting to see the contrast between the coffee crowd and the beer crowd."

this is a very good idea.

8/4/2009 10:08:44 PM

I would be happy to do the beer one if you want. Although the fact that I am on the east coast might skew the results some. But I'm not in a college town like Raleigh or Chapel Hill, so it would at least weed out those just looking for a free beer

8/4/2009 10:12:15 PM

^ Do it, with coffee or beer or little plastic keychains. Get out there and feel the world.

My first meet ups start tomorrow, not sure what's planned. Exciting!

and to whoever said "what do you get out of this that you can't get at work". Well for one, you are selectively choosing who you try to learn from. Certainly they (your workmates) have things to teach you, talents or perspectives or otherwise. But the way that I'm approaching it I suspect I'll be meeting up with and intently listening to people I would otherwise pass without a second thought. And you already have judgments against your coworkers, willingly or not. That's something I hope to minimize here.

But don't let that stop you, send out an email to your co workers offering them lunch in exchange for a story or a lesson. You could just invite them to lunch, but I get a feeling you're conversations will be more memorable if you do the former.

8/7/2009 9:34:25 PM

I wanted to restrict these interactions to only taking place in the coffee shop. I think because first - they are a good catalyst for conversation and, possibly more importantly, I'm not immune to irrational fear of people. It would be good neutral ground. But James insisted I come to his workshop and, as the whole point of this experiment was to interact outside of my boundaries, why should I stick to the rules I'd laid down for myself?

So I showed up at 9 a.m., coffee in hand, attempting to suppress any prejudices that inevitably arise when interacting with the world. James was building a shed off of his workshop, which itself looked like it was pieced together by bits of wood torn from previous generations of workshops that had outlived their use. He grabbed the coffee, drinking half of it before our first words were exchanged.

"My wife left me some time ago and I fell into depression." he was 56.
" I thought I'd never do anything again. But when you do something your whole life, you can't do much else... I've just completed my fifteenth house. Working with your hands, it's therapeutic. It's healed me."

He went to his truck and pulled out a picture and a wooden flute. He handed me the flute and told me he was making them for his grandchildren, carved from the apple wood that we were standing under. He described how to drill the holes a certain distance from the mouthpiece, and how they had to be a specific diameter. He told me how you had to paint the inside or it expands from the dampness of your breath. He told me the wooden duck strapped to the top with a strip of leather was there only for decoration, and because his grandchildren were too young to enjoy the flute, but they might enjoy the duck.

Then he handed me the picture that looked like it had been printed specifically for this occasion. It was him and his dog 30 years ago. I thought, 'of all the things to show me, you pick something from your childhood?' He was a rancher on the snake river, his hippie days he called them. His expression changed when he talked about it, I could tell he was a different man back them. I figured he brought that picture along because the man in the picture was the man that was meeting with me this morning, not the man that is living in his skin these days.

I finished my coffee and shook his hand.

8/11/2009 2:02:06 PM

if you don't blog or write a book or something about all of this, i'm going teach you how to stab someone in the eye

but, i suppose, [tww is a blog]

8/11/2009 2:06:08 PM

aw man, i was hoping he gave you a flute!! cool story, keep posting them

8/11/2009 5:55:20 PM

^ I was hoping too

^^ [tww is a blog]... I'll compile them on a blog if someone makes me one, but i'm too lazy otherwise.

8/11/2009 6:11:43 PM

I have actually been looking to write a book for a while now, and I think this is a great idea. I would like to put all of your stories together and see what I can come up with. If it is worth a shit, and possibly worth trying to get published, we can negotiate splitting up the earnings.

and I am 100% serious about that.

8/11/2009 6:26:38 PM

^^ I'll build you a blog and even get you a domain hosted on my server for free if you promise to keep doing this. I love things like this.

...I'm not kidding either.

[Edited on August 11, 2009 at 6:56 PM. Reason : -]

8/11/2009 6:54:51 PM

Quote :

"you could make a neat podcast like This American Life. I would subscribe."

You read my mind. This would make such a cool podcast if done correctly.

8/11/2009 7:24:40 PM

This can be like Post a Secret

Except better

8/11/2009 7:30:56 PM

this is kind of like the moth podcast, or the interviews 50c thing they have on slate.com

i like those podcasts, so i guess A++++++ WILL SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEED

8/11/2009 7:45:47 PM

Quote :

"^^ I'll build you a blog and even get you a domain hosted on my server for free if you promise to keep doing this. I love things like this. ...I'm not kidding either. "

Lets do it! I've got some space on bluehost, If you want to build it there, pm me for the username/password.

Inspiration is cascading lately.

8/21/2009 10:26:55 PM

^ nm, i set one up, ill post the link once ive developed a steady supply of stories

8/23/2009 12:37:47 AM

btttttttttttttttttttt

8/24/2009 6:27:36 PM

interesting

8/25/2009 12:19:07 PM

Very interesting. Will keep reading.

But whats up with all the posts about getting rapped and stabbed? What kind of coffee shops have you people been to? Jesus, he isn't meeting people in their basements...

8/25/2009 12:42:58 PM

^ seriously, people are afraid of anything these days


http://www.coffeeconversations.net, I set up a blog. I don't have it customized yet or anything, so dont complain about layouts. There is only one new story, and they will be coming in slowly until I don't have to work overtime anymore (in a month?)

8/28/2009 1:43:21 AM

^ Aww man that one was deep

8/28/2009 4:52:10 AM

Great work with the Experiment. Everyone has a story, some experience unique to themselves, and your work to coax them out and record them is seemingly very noble.

8/28/2009 5:45:07 AM

people keep flagging my post. any advise on how to stop that (im posting in "for free")

8/28/2009 9:33:39 PM

Added your blog to my Google Reader. Looking forward to your stories.

8/28/2009 9:44:15 PM

^^ Every time you make an edit it resets the flags.

8/28/2009 11:27:52 PM

I think this is great and added your blog to my google reader. Look forward to reading more entries. Also, you could put up a paypal of some sort if people want to contribute a cup of coffee's worth of money so you can continue doing this without spending a ton.

8/29/2009 12:52:22 PM

Quote :

"people keep flagging my post. any advise on how to stop that (im posting in "for free") "

ask in the flag help on craigslist?

8/29/2009 6:22:09 PM

.............................................................................................
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10/2/2009 2:47:14 AM

so....

10/2/2009 8:55:34 AM

add to my topiks

10/2/2009 9:09:06 AM

server not found

10/2/2009 9:43:47 AM

The original link has a comma at the end of it:

Try this:

http://www.coffeeconversations.net/

10/2/2009 9:55:16 AM

i want more

10/2/2009 11:04:20 AM

ditto

10/2/2009 11:16:30 AM

Sorry guys! I went out a few more times and have to write them up. Also, I've been working 10-11 hr days for the past month. Things are slowing down though and I promise to get back into it. I'll post another ad right now.

10/2/2009 11:42:17 AM

I could use some suggestions on how to organize this. When I post on craigslist, I get about 6-7 responses immediately and it becomes very difficult to organize it all. I'm thinking of making a public calender in Google docs and posting the link on my ad with my available times listed, then people can send me an email and mark off the time they'd like to meet. Do you think this would work?

10/2/2009 11:46:31 AM

maybe you can add an "about" link somewhere at the top of the page or on the left hand side so people will know what it's about. i do see it at the bottom but my eyes always read left to right top to bottom

10/2/2009 12:02:06 PM

this is pretty cool, man

whatever you do, keep it up

10/2/2009 1:04:30 PM

You could try giving them a subject scheme to reply with? For example, they could put the date they'd like to come and meet you in the subject?

I don't know. Very neat idea though, really like your writing style.

10/2/2009 1:40:25 PM

A+....keep on posting...one of my favorite threads ever

10/2/2009 2:05:29 PM

Make sure you retain the contact information for all of these people. Once you flesh out your website a little more, or if you ever publish the stories, make sure you contact them all so they can see their piece of the project as well as how it fits into the project as a whole.

10/2/2009 3:33:40 PM

I am trying this right now, as I work in a coffee shop, so this is very economically feasible.

10/6/2009 3:07:40 PM

do it! post back, maybe we can all set up a shared blog and each of us can contribute?

10/6/2009 3:26:15 PM

Quote :

"Make sure you retain the contact information for all of these people. Once you flesh out your website a little more, or if you ever publish the stories, make sure you contact them all so they can see their piece of the project as well as how it fits into the project as a whole."

You should also make clear that they are giving you permission to use their stories. If they're just skills then this won't matter as much. But if you're throwing in stories they tell you, then whether you post on a blog or it eventually makes a book, you may need their permission. It will probably be easier to just get this upfront or as a prerequisite for meeting you in the first place. You should also post your notice of copyright on the blog! Don't want anyone else stealing your work, it looks great!

This is a great idea, can't wait to read the updates!

[Edited on October 6, 2009 at 4:00 PM. Reason : ]

10/6/2009 3:31:15 PM

I'm going to talk to a Redskins fan about the inferiority of Asian men when it comes to dating.

Can't wait.

10/6/2009 5:05:56 PM

I don't have stories typed up yet, but I'm getting some interesting responses lately.

Quote :

"so before i arrange a time to meet you and tell you about what i am passionate about why dont you fill me in on who you are and what is in it for you?"

Quote :

" Isn't it kinda weird to just meet people for coffee to listen to them?? is this some kind of social experiment?? are you male femal age what do you do for a living?? i am very curious to know what type of person posts a post like this.. i might just have to meet for coffee and tell you a story .. i can even mail you loads of them get back to me peace"

Oh society, why do you breed such fear? These are the people I really hope come around and let me buy them a drink.

10/15/2009 10:58:49 AM

WAY TO GO!

11/14/2009 8:17:30 PM

I needs my story fix! Update your site!

11/15/2009 8:01:10 AM

I occasionally bump this thread for my amusement, to see people rant about how cool this idea is, only to have it rapidly die shortly thereafter.

RIP.

11/18/2009 10:48:53 PM

monthly bump time

12/18/2009 4:18:06 PM