My hovercraft is full of eels

This started as a reply to a very pertinent comment on a blog entry of mine but it grew to the point where I thought it deserved an entry of its own.

First to the original comment, I always appreciate a good rant. How could I not LOL. And I agree whole-heartedly with the sentiment. I don't tend to blog about my personal life because, well, it's personal hehehe. I don't really get much from writing about my life experiences, yet. Maybe one day but until then I do get a lot from writing about software development. It's an area of my life where lots of discussion and debate seems to make a big difference.

So for the curious, I teach and train martial arts most week nights. I spend most weekends with my family except for the occasional geek session here and there. I work for 9 months of the year and take 3 months off mostly to travel - I've lived a total of 3 years in Japan off and on over the past 17 years. I speak Japanese. I ride my motorbike whenever I can. I ride my mountain bike whenever the weather permits.... But rather than bore you with my "I'm a Leo I enjoy cooking and dancing" story, let me summarise by saying that I do believe that life is about living and NOT about software development.

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike software development. As far as a job goes it's the best one I could hope for right now. It's interesting. It's challenging. It keeps my mind active. And I get to meet loads of interesting people in the process. But every year I go to Japan to train or I go hiking in New Zealand and I don't miss the internet nor email nor mobile phones nor any technology to be honest. When it comes down to it, if I were independently wealthy I could turn my back on computers and never look back.

But that was not and is not the point. The point is that no matter whether it be software development, house keeping, whatever, all I ask is that you GIVE A SHIT about what it is you are doing and that you take some care and some responsibility. If you don't, won't or can't, then STOP, CEASE, DESIST! You will do more harm than good so please go away, we don't need nor want you.

My Aikido instructor is famous for ripping shreds through students correcting their technique. Hearing him scream "DAME!" (Japanese for "wrong") across the mat can be a bit much for some students. But he once said to us that "there are only two reasons you'll never receive a DAME from me. Either you're so good that you don't need it; or you're so bad I've given up and I don't care about you anymore."

So I hope you'll understand that I intend to continue ranting and writing about software development, and anything else I feel passionate and enthusastic about, BECAUSE I GIVE A SHIT. :-)