Chris Risner . Com

CodeMash 2012

Posted on: 1/20/2012 12:37:00 AM by

Last week was CodeMash 2012.  This was the seventh iteration of the conference and the first time I’ve been back since the first year.  If there is one thing that I can attest to, having missed the 5 years in between, this conference has gotten a lot bigger.  To put things in perspective (since I don’t have the actual number of attendees from 2007), CodeMash 2007 (the first year) cost $35,082.83.  This year (2012), they spent $22,400 on BACON!  I only wish I could spend this much on pig.  This year there were roughly 1200 attendees and 130 speakers. 

Thankfully, after submitting a few different session abstracts, I was chosen to speak on an Introduction to Android Development.  While I wasn’t really prepared to speak on the topic when I was accepted, in-between then and the conference, I wrote my 31 Days of Android series.  After having written that, I was more than prepared to create the presentation and speak about it confidently.  I was still a little nervous as this would be the largest crowd of people (that I didn’t already know) that I would be speaking to.  That said, things went pretty well.  I had one of the largest rooms at the Kalahari conference center (outside of the ballrooms). While it wasn’t jam packed, I’d say there were probably about 100 people give or take a few.

My talk did run a little too long on the slides and I didn’t have quite enough time to walk through a demo (which was mostly going to consist of some very basic Android stuff).  However, I received a lot of positive feedback after the presentation and was able to hang out afterwards and answer some great questions from some of the attendees.  I’m really happy I was accepted and was able to talk at the conference and I hope to be able to speak at future CodeMash conferences.

You can download the slides from my presentation here.  As always, if you have any feedback or questions, please let me know.

Categories: Android, Bacon, Conferences
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The Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito

Posted on: 8/11/2009 8:35:55 PM by

Well, I finally tried it.  Two weeks ago, I was all set to be good and eat healthy for the week in between a trip to Phoenix and a house boat trip (story to come) when two friends from work suggest (FORCE!) we go to Taco Bell for lunch.  Upon arriving at Taco Bell, I was assaulted by signs for the Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito.  Not only were there signs, but my two friends nearly demanded that I get the Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito.  So, I did what I had to do and got it.  While I am a firm (giggity) believer that bacon makes everything better, there was not enough bacon in the bacon cheesy potato burrito.  It was good, but had potential to be so much more.  Now, if you're not "that" into bacon (a.k.a. a communist) then you probably won't dig this burrito.  If however you think that a breakfast that comes with bacon could be improved by having more bacon, then run, don't walk, to your nearest taco bell.

UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that there's a bit of a contradiction here.  I said that there isn't enough bacon but that if you don't like bacon you shouldn't try this.  This is not a contradiction but a further emphasis on my love of bacon and more of it.  Thank you.

Categories: Bacon, General
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Mmmmmmm Bacon

Posted on: 7/2/2009 11:13:00 AM by

In my continued effort to eat healthy and avoid the pitfalls of the common north American culinary experience (re: fast food) I’ve been doing my best to not get suckered into going to lunch with work folk as it inevitably leads to some brand of unhealthy eating.  Sadly my will power is not always the best and yesterday I was convinced to go to Taco Bell. Upon arriving at the newly remodeled Toxic Hell, I was greeted by a particular brand of evil:  the Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito.  It was as if someone had ratted out my penchant for bacon to the creative department of TBell and they threw together a ferocious feast just for me.  Alas, I succeeded in avoiding this and stayed on the Fresco menu (yeah, it was SOOOO much more healthy, I know).  Later in the day though, my friend PJ informed me that he had just had a Bacon Cheesy Potato Burrito and that it was essentially orgasmic.  Perhaps I’ll get drunk enough to try one of these beauties before they are lost to the menu.

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Categories: Bacon, Food
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