The Slippers (2005)
America learned about podcasting from the slippers guy in the 2005 LA Times interview that introduced the medium to the mainstream. The kitchen table was the studio; the system was decentralized before the word was a trend.
Footnotes & Backstories
The Relic (Clinical Systems)
The psych emergency room was perpetually on "divert" because the transfer list was a typewritten relic. By auditing the network and rebuilding the regional database of every licensed bed, we ended multi-day patient boarding on ER gurneys. Revenue stabilized; the system functioned.
The Mayor (Civic Systems)
The 2011 mayoral race against an 18-year incumbent missed by only 1,600 votes. We deployed a 300-point fiscal reform plan on a $53k shoestring budget against a $760k machine. Data-driven door knocking nearly toppled the kingpin.
The Overhaul (Emergency Systems)
Led a volunteer fire department on the brink of a state-ordered shutdown. Optimized the essentials in a race against an anticipated state inspection; passed with limited notice. The department stayed open; the system held.
The Mountains (Physical Systems)
Eight years in 0.5 ppl/sqmi country—one hour forty-five minutes to groceries. Built two houses by hand while camping for the first year. YouTube served as the sole architectural consultant for the structural masonry and MEP systems.
The Rat-Race (Financial Systems)
Hacked my way out of the Matrix after implementing 'Your Money or Your Life' by Dominguez and Robin. Systems-based wealth preservation over narrative-based consumption.