edcdave

For basic motivation and direction, try Don Lancaster's site and books.

Reading programs is just as important to the budding (and expert) hacker as writing them. As goofy as it sounds, I found lots of inspiration trying to convert BASIC game programs (as in Ahl's 101 Computer Games) to Python. First time through try to get it to run. Then try to get it to work with fewer lines. Then add some features. You'll be surprised how much you learn.

Good luck.

I was born in the Detroit suburb of Garden City over 50 years ago and had lots of relatives in the area. Many of my Polish relations lived in Hamtramck. My father and uncle worked for Ford. In the 50s and 60s, we saw a lot of downtown, but things were on the decline even then. We moved out in 1966.

I came back to Detroit in 1979 as a manufacturing engineer for a company making components for the M-1 tank. Chrysler was the prime contractor, but right about that time, Iaccoca went hat-in-hand for his famous bailout. There were people selling Dallas papers in the median of Woodward Ave. Even then, I spent some time Downtown. The RenCen, Bricktown. But I lived out in Birmingham.

I tear up when I see the desolation that Detroit has become.

Three cheers for the Long Tail!

It's not an exclusive club though. It only takes a little time.