![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
This week started with the regular delivery of three days of supercomputing workshops with the final day on parallel programming. There was a good turnout to each of the workshops, and some excellent questions, especially on the last day which led to building a few more examples in the code repository that I keep for researchers. Whilst I have almost completed the expected number of workshops that work has set for me this year, I also want to revise and get as much content established in a self-managed manner for researchers, although I do know that many prefer to have my presence in the room, so to speak. In a few minutes I'll be continuing the process of bringing the content to an international stage by attending the Steering Board of the HPC Certification Forum. In other vaguely education-appropriate news, I managed to top the Diamond League in Duolingo again. Finally, although it is not due for a few more weeks, I am over halfway through my next assignment for DevoPsych. I confess that I'm rather itching to do the final, neurological-based unit - not just because I'd love to get my teeth in the subject matter, but also with the desire to finish two degrees in a single year.
Despite some appearances to the contrary, I am not entirely a person of work and study. A couple of nights in the past week I have caught up with Erica H. where we've been making some progress through the fourth season of Stranger Things. Assuming there are no thematic twists, I am quite enjoying the social juxtaposition between the unpopular but salubrious nerds and freaks in the Dungeons & Dragons club compared to the popular-but-toxic jocks and normals associated with the basketball team. I have a lot to say about toxic communities based on competition, but I'll reserve that for another day. Another significant social event was Raph and Rach's combined birthday (50 and 40) held at The Party House, a rather good venue. There were some truly wonderful and good friends present, and a lot of new friendly faces, overwhelmingly of good and intelligent character. Alas, late into the night I found myself struck by a sudden wave of melancholy and thought it best to make a quiet exit. With the rationality of hindsight, I probably should have stayed, but sometimes such emotions are hard to fight.
Despite some appearances to the contrary, I am not entirely a person of work and study. A couple of nights in the past week I have caught up with Erica H. where we've been making some progress through the fourth season of Stranger Things. Assuming there are no thematic twists, I am quite enjoying the social juxtaposition between the unpopular but salubrious nerds and freaks in the Dungeons & Dragons club compared to the popular-but-toxic jocks and normals associated with the basketball team. I have a lot to say about toxic communities based on competition, but I'll reserve that for another day. Another significant social event was Raph and Rach's combined birthday (50 and 40) held at The Party House, a rather good venue. There were some truly wonderful and good friends present, and a lot of new friendly faces, overwhelmingly of good and intelligent character. Alas, late into the night I found myself struck by a sudden wave of melancholy and thought it best to make a quiet exit. With the rationality of hindsight, I probably should have stayed, but sometimes such emotions are hard to fight.
