communication breakdown

Shaun Does Dallas

Well, I'm back from Dallas, where I spent the last four days at PyCon, a software development conference centered around the Python programming language. Sounds like a blast, huh? I went with a group of 5 co-workers, and all in all I'd say we all had a positive experience. Here are three things you may or may not want to know:

• Despite warnings from friends, I was wholly unprepared for the level of nerditude that we faced there. I guess I should have seen it coming - after all, it was a conference for a programming language. But I guess I just assumed that there would be a fair amount of people like me and my co-workers: software developers, yes, but also reasonably healthy and well-balanced people. Not so much. It was full-on Nerdapalooza out there, and it was just plain scary. Now, to be fair, all of these jokers were crazy smart; in fact, I'd go as far as to say most of the people there were of a vastly higher intellect than myself. But you know the old saying about how stereotypes wouldn't exist if they weren't true? It sure felt that way this weekend. Jean shorts, unkempt hair, stupid shirts - the geekdom was out in full force. For a while we played the "Spot the PyCon attendee" game while sitting in the hotel bar, but we gave up because it was just too easy.
• The location was nice, despite the fact that I didn't really get to experience "true" Dallas. It kind of felt like when you take a cruise and go to "Jamaica" - you don't really experience true Jamaican culture, because the little portion of the beach where you stop is Tourist Central, totally catered to cruise patrons, and littered with vendors and attractions. PyCon sort of felt the same way - the event was held in a nice hotel, but it was away from downtown, and while it was surrounded by about 8 billion restaurants, the whole area felt very catered to travelling businessmen/executives. However, we ate like kings and got to chill a fair amount, which made for a relaxing weekend.
• On the way back to the airport, I saw one of the coolest things I've ever seen. We were on the highway, driving about 65, when this lady a couple cars ahead of us decides she needs to exit NOW. The problem is, the exit she wants is approaching rapidly, and it's pretty apparent that she's not going to make it. But she was not to be denied. She turns the wheel pretty sharp and starts darting across lanes, cutting off people in her way. She finally gets into the right-most lane, but at this point she's already passed the offramp. However, she continues to try and exit, so she ends up in the triangular area between highway and offramp (that is, the triangular area you're not supposed to drive on). What she doesn't realize is that she's hurtling straight towards an exit sign. We see her slam on the brakes, but we all knew what was coming: sure enough, watching her as if in slow motion, she totally obliterates the exit sign! It lays a mean gash in her bumper, metal shards fly everywhere, the sign flies up in the air, hits the top of her car, and then it flips over and falls. The best part is, she just keeps driving! And to top it off, she was on a cellphone the whole time, and even after hitting the sign, she never hung up the phone. Once again - it maybe a stereotype, but steer clear of women drivers on cellphones. Especially if you are an exit sign.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

So, Super Bowl XL was mediocrity executed to perfection. From the teams involved, to the game itself, to the halftime show, and even the commercials, nothing was memorable or particularly exciting. In fact, as a sports fan, the only tangible enjoyment I got from the game stemmed from sentimental attachments to certain players and coaches: for example, seeing Bill Cowher and Jerome Bettis each win their first Super Bowl rings - an honor well-deserved and long-overdue in each case. But, beyond that, there's not much to say for last night. However, this doesn't bother me too much because I spent the evening at a friend's place with plenty of good food and great company. But, unfortunately, there is one thing that the Super Bowl signifies every year: the end of football for 6 months. It is a sad day indeed.

My only solace comes from looking forward to Wednesday night when Phatt and I are going to see the Rolling Stones. The tickets were expensive, the crowd will probably be insane, and at their age, the Stones might not actually be worth the cost and the hoopla; nevertheless, I can't pass up what might be my only legitimate opportunity to see such a classic act. I have a feeling that, 50 years from now, I'm going to be telling somebody that I saw the Stones live in concert, and they're going to be very jealous. Or, maybe they'll laugh at me. Only time will tell...

Out of the Blue

So, I'm at work today, finishing up some stuff before lunchtime, and out of nowhere, I get a call from my dad. Now, for some of you, this might not be that surprising, but my situation is a little different. I haven't really gone into detail about my family relationships on this blog, and I don't intend to do so now, but suffice it to say that I don't talk to my dad very often. In fact, before this past Christmas, I hadn't really spoken with him in 2 years, mainly because I had no way to contact him, and he never bothered trying to get ahold of me. So imagine my surprise when he actually showed up at the big family get-together, and then called me a month later. We didn't talk long but it was nice to see him put forth the effort, and that might be an important step in our relationship going forward. There is a lot of history in our family, with my father doing many things to hurt me and my mother/sister, but I'm very much a "water off the duck's back" kind of person, and to this day I don't let any of it bother me. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not happy with him for the things he did, but I refuse to let his decisions affect my mental and emotional state, or have a detrimental effect on me in any way. I'm not one to hold a grudge and would have no problem rebuilding some sort of relationship with him, especially now that he actually has a phone and can be reached. It will be interesting to see where this goes in the coming months...

Dallas Bound

I'll be making my first trip to Dallas later this month to attend PyCon, which is an international conference focusing on the Python programming language. Geeky, perhaps, but it's work-related, so I think I get a free pass, right? Actually, it will be quite interesting, for several reasons. First, I've never been to anything like this before, so it should be quite an experience. Second, Python is the primary language I develop in and I've been using it for years, so I'm glad I have the chance to attend the event and hopefully learn some new things (or at least hear about some things coming down the pipe). Four of us are going, and we probably won't have a ton of time to get a real taste of Dallas, but I'm sure we'll hit the town a little bit. More on this in the coming weeks...

Resolution Under Construction

One of my two New Year's Resolutions was to get back in shape in preparation to begin TaeKwon-Do training again. I've been making modest success here, at least by establishing a somewhat-regular running program (3 miles, several times a week). Hopefully I can make the leap to a fully-regular program (3+ miles, 4 times a week). Then the next step is a regular workout program, including some heavybag work. I'm excited about this, because we're going to be installing a heavybag in the garage, and I love doing kicks/punches on the bag. I've also got to get in a stretching routine as well. Once I get all that taken care of, it's into the books to start teaching myself what I need to know to test for 4th Degree Black Belt. It's a lot to learn, but I cannot test for at least four years anyway, so I've got time.

If I'm able to get seriously back into things, and test for 4th Dan, then I will consider opening my own school. But, right now it's all pipe dreams - I'm only on step 2 of 200, so I need to focus on the little details first...