Palm Springs, The Hilton, ESRI Developer Conference, and more...

 
The desert Hatter, close to where I stepped in a giant pile of dog shit on the sidewalk.  Awesome.

So, I'm on a business trip to Palm Springs right now, for the ESRI Developer conference.  I think most people would really enjoy a chance to get out of ol' West Virginia and kick back in the sun, but, for me, not so much.

I appreciate the opportunity to learn things that may be useful for my work, but, at the same time, I really want to be home right now.  I find this place to be incredibly boring.  Everything closes at 9 or 10 PM, the Hilton sucks as far as hotels go (no complimentary anything, lame room service, water conservation, price, early departure penalties, no room service after 9 PM... etc etc).  

The town of Palm Springs is nicely constructed, and relatively amazing for what it is... a town in the desert that has become something of a tourist trap.  I see absolutely no vacation appeal here.  There's no beach, no amusement park, nowhere good to shop, nothing...  except for some pretty good food.

I'll break down Palm Springs as follows: 

Stores:
Tons of little tourist traps in which to sink cash on knick knacks you'll never use or look at... a neat place called  "The Alley" that has nothing you can't find in your hometown for much cheaper.  Crystal & Faeries stores, specialty "Latino" book stores, and a gay clothing shop (because they don't fit into normal clothes).  The best store we found was called "Cold Noses Warm Hearts" which was a really nice little pet store.  The prices were a bit too high for me to bite, but the store is well done, with a courtesy water bowl outside for passing canines - bravo for this.

Food:
It's a tourist location, so, the food is good.  Kiyosaku's sushi is really, really good...  definitely give it a shot if you come here and like Sushi at all.  It's very traditional (there are no forks to be had).  Kaiser is a really, really nice restaraunt, and the Kaiser signature burger is awesome.  A venue I've visited twice since I've arrived is a little Thai place called "Thai Cuisine" I believe... Apparently Harrison Ford once ate in this tiny little place, so, yeah, it's pretty solid.  Get whatever food you are going to eat before 9 PM.. if you delay, you're straight up fucked.

People:
The natives of the area are all friendly (like most tourist-y places).  The other people visiting are all pretty old.  This must be the Florida of California.  Nothing wrong with that, but, I think the average age of the people who visit has impacted the "mode" of the town.  Since grandma and grandpa have to go to sleep early to avoid the reaper, everything shuts down.

The Hilton:
Sucks.  Why stay at a more expensive hotel, and then pay more for the exact same crap you get at other places?  Paris Hilton is rich because of establishments like this?  Bitch should be folding blankets.  I've stayed in Best Western's that put this place to shame in terms of amenities, staff, location, and service.  Not even a continental breakfast.

Palm Springs probably really is a fun place to come and relax if you live near it, but, I feel sorry for anyone who has traveled a great distance to vacation here, as, that money could have been much better spent on a cruise or going to the beach.  Maybe you can make something of it if you're really good at enjoying yourself in the middle of the desert, by taking advantage of the jeep tours, and taking a hefty interest in geological formations, but, for me, I'll stick to beaches, roller coasters, cruises, zoos, and aquariums.  Hell, even a museum or DC trip wins.

The ESRI Developer conference is pretty interesting.  It's a good place to watch people demo and teach a little about technologies that you probably haven't had time to delve fully into, showing the abilities of each in a good format that will encourage you to give them a shot in your workplace.  I've learned a lot about Flex and Silverlight already, but I already knew the vast majority of other stuff.  The most entertaining thing is looking around and spotting out the "managerial" types who have booked themselves to the dev conference as a vacation rather than really trying to legitimately learn anything.  Also, the number of people in polos and khakis is mind-blowing.

Also, once you sleep on memory foam at home for a couple years, a hotel mattress pretty much sucks.

The most excruciating thing about this trip is being away from my awesome girlfriend, my awesome cats, and my dog.  

I am not the type of person who will just start off on a rant for no reason.  I don't "go off" about stuff on a regular basis.  Sure, I'll discuss things, but, I don't generally feel angry or lose faith in mankind in the course of those discussions... but there are some things that the locals of Huntington, West Virginia really need to pay attention to.

Turn signals.  Indicators.  Blinkers.

When you are switching lanes, turning left or right, etc, you really, really need to use them.  Always.  Every time.  It's moving your left hand maybe an inch or two in a minor action that helps others plan their next move in traffic, avoid accidents, and it could even save your life.

I know you're busy cursing your spouse out on the phone from the seat of your gigantic truck, and everyone else doesn't really need to know where you're going, but, just because you're doomed to an awful life with a toothless significant other and your kids are all carbon copies of Alfred E. Neuman, doesn't mean you can't move your hand a couple inches for the rest of us motorists.  The rebel flag on the back of your truck tells me you're a fucking idiot, but it doesn't tell me anything about where you're going (on the road, that is, it tells me plenty about your future outlook... virtually screams trailer park until coronary).

I don't know.  Maybe you're just incredibly stupid!  This goes for over half of you that I've seen in my 10+ years of living in this town!  Maybe you just need some education.  I'll show you.  It's not that hard.  

Look:

That's what they look like.  It's a little lever extending from the left side of the steering column!  (The thing the steering wheel is attached to... that's the big round thing).  

Now, the operation of this high tech gizmo may be difficult for you, if you're illiterate, retarded, or missing your left arm... but, since you can probably kinda read, I'll explain:

Pushing that lever UPWARDS, Huntington, tells everyone you want to go "right" (towards the side you write with, usually, not that you write).  Pushing it down, means "left", right out the side window closest to you.

When?

Any time you are going to change lanes or turn.  Do it half a block in advance of a turn, or about 6 seconds before you shift lanes.  

I KNOW what you're thinking right now, trying to figure out times when it's okay not to signal!  

Q&A: 

Q: "But, but what if I'm in a turn only lane?"

A: DO IT ANYWAY.  It reassures everyone that you mean to stick with the letter of the road.  Also, not everyone knows you're in a turn-only lane, since that's not everyone's route to work or to their favorite bar that specializes in playing country music and causing the romantic hookups that are destined to destroy the world by 2150.  These people need to where you are going, and if they are in front of your car, they almost certainly don't know which is the turn only lane, or if there even is one.  USE IT.

Q: "But what if I have a green light, I have the right of way, so what does it matter?!"
A: People who want to turn right on red are watching for your signal to see if you are going to go straight or turn.  If you're going to turn, chances are, they can turn, too.  I know it blows your mind, but, just trust me and turn on your fucking blinker.

 
Conclusion:

You see, it's really not that hard, or, that much of us to ask that you flip a switch to communicate with us, since, our cars can very easily kill or disfigure you and your whole family.  The thing is, some of us actually have a family or car WORTH CARING ABOUT... and I know you'd like to spoil that if you had the chance, since misery loves company, but if my car kills your kids, where are you going to get your welfare check?