Jim Carson

was today, live, on the Internets! :)

I was giddy when I learned she’d be teaching a course in Machine Learning (she’s a leading expert) and the class would be recorded and I could sit in (free education! no commute! woo!).

She presents clearly and with enthusiasm, working from the white board to better involve her students. Her material is sprinkled with real-world examples. Not only have I learned a lot – she’s piqued my interest in learning more about the field. (And what higher compliment could there be?)

She’s: sensible, tolerant, active within the community, knows a lot about a lot, and is a quick draw with hilarious double entendres.

In WoodstockDC’s blog, I’ve enjoyed her anecdotes like how donning BDU cargo shorts is enough to convince fellow garden store patrons you’re staff, felt sorrow when her Uncle Chuck’s passed away, learned there are separate voice talents for the sixty second political ads, and savored the image of a doe grazing on the shoulder of the road through Rock Creek Park. She has a gift for observations and conveying them in her beautiful, thoughtful writing.

Jim is a renaissance guy. I’m constantly amazed by Jim’s take on the world and the enthusiasm with which he approaches the things that interest him. Whether it be cooking, cycling, home appliance repair, or just making the world a more user-friendly place, Jim’s writings always make me think.

I learn something new from each conversation I have with Jim. (And what higher compliment could there be?) He is unquenchably positive, un chef extraordinaire, and a master of the Harvard Semicolon. He can take a sunrise and sprinkle it with dew. He has an appetite for challenges and continuous learning that I admire with my whole being. Among other talents, he can take the most grim scenes of mindless bureaucracy and paint them with technicolor humor. He wields his powers for awesome with grace and generosity. I’m honored to have him as my friend.

She’s a kindred spirit, capably engaging in discussions on diverse and delightfully unique topics like learning-induced endorphins, multi-layered roasting of marshmallows, Oxford Commas and weather forecast quality. :-D

Wkiri’s curiosity and her drive to sate it make her one of the most interesting and formidably intelligent people I’ve met.

May she be the first to Mars!