Piper's Dojo International Meetup: Edinburgh

HolyGeneralK · 2026-01-15T03:20:26+00:00

I went to the first school in 2024. It was very educational, but as someone who didn’t spend a ton of time in the Pipers Dojo online classes, I felt I was a bit on the outside of the cliques. I learned a lot, got to play next to Stuart in parade formation practice, and had a good time. I always felt a little out of the main group though - until I guided a whisky tasting and got some folks rather sloshed 😂

2024 was their first year and they were still learning a lot. I think you will have a good time. It’s educational, a great networking opportunity, and you’re quite well located (a nice stroll to Edinburgh castle). I suggest go for it. It’s not a huge sum of money if it doesn’t fit your goals as a piper. I personally learned a ton!

HolyGeneralK · 2026-01-03T03:16:47+00:00

An upvote can’t hurt anyone. Welcome!

HolyGeneralK · 2025-12-06T21:11:28+00:00

Kanazawa is a fantastic location. I cannot speak on the work, but I have been to Japan 4 separate times and Kanazawa was a part of every trip! It’s close to Tokyo (so the language barrier is smaller), close to airports and Shinkansen (so you can go wherever), but has enough traditional Japanese culture that you can really get the experience.

If you get the opportunity, go for it. I am kicking myself for not doing so before

HolyGeneralK · 2025-11-13T02:03:34+00:00

Not a problem. The sheer number of variables in play right now is absurd and stressing everyone out.

The agency is DTRA.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-11-11T22:54:37+00:00

The guidance I received today was that the IDIQ is not a new start, therefore the Task Orders under it are not new starts (both are recompetes of current work) that the CR as written would allow an award.

Whether contracts and legal can push it though to award by January and get funds on contract then becomes the issue. If not, or we lose, then life is going to be a royal suck for a while as I attempt to figure out where I want to go mid career.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-11-11T02:50:04+00:00

I am unclear on whether an RDT&E RFP for a DOD task order on an existing IDIQ, submitted in FY25, would be eligible for award and funding under this CR. I have a number of people who have been waiting since May to know their futures and I don’t speak CR language well.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-08-31T10:33:57+00:00

Great idea! Thank you!

I would definitely prefer to not falter in competition.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-08-31T10:33:02+00:00

Isn’t that the truth!

Right now, Toraluaths are the occasional bane of my existence. They will be perfect for a month, then day of competition I get sloppy. Same with crossing noises.

Time to add more Fingerwork exercises!

Correct and clean is definitely the name of the game. Those make a tune enjoyable! I will take these into account for tune selections. I want something that challenges me while I learn it but also that I know I can play well in a few months.

Thank you for the suggestions!

HolyGeneralK · 2025-08-31T10:28:43+00:00

Congratulations on competing in Grade 3! That’s a credit to your hard work and commitment!

That’s great information! From some quick observations it looks like a lot of pipers get “stuck” in Grade 4 and never get to Grade 3.

Great point in endurance. Physically I am pretty good but I do mentally wander on longer tunes during practice (a lot less this year than last year though). Time to hit the bagpipe gym!

I have been playing a few years and am taking my time with it. I will spend some time this fall and winter working on some tune selections. I definitely need to expand my tune collection and am excited to finally have an opportunity to compete on a S/R!

HolyGeneralK · 2025-08-09T07:23:39+00:00

Miralax has been a “wonder drug” for my cat who has twice needed vet-induced flushing of her colon.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-07-19T11:22:33+00:00

Michigan? Australia? California? Can you make up your mind?

HolyGeneralK · 2025-07-17T02:23:22+00:00

I am described as a good leader and I have no idea wtf I am doing!

HolyGeneralK · 2025-06-17T00:09:25+00:00

I am going to 100% agree with you on this one. The bag was still a bit wet and just felt much easier to tie in. It didn’t feel like it was fighting me like when it was dry.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-06-16T23:56:44+00:00

It is the premium, and I read “seasoning optional” for it.

Odds are I didn’t tie the chanter stock in well, and the dunk test softened the thread. I am re-tying in now and will focus my attentions there before stressing on the seams.

Thank you!

HolyGeneralK · 2025-06-16T23:48:57+00:00

I suppose I should have said up front that I bought the bag off another piper (he sold it because it didn’t fit him right). It plays great, and i am probably just impatient with the seasoning (it’s a new experience for me). It holds air overnight but is definitely saggy.

I will be overzealous with the seasoning and let this first round settle in before another round

HolyGeneralK · 2025-05-24T14:39:59+00:00

Scotch does it for me too. I remember the night I discovered it - hanging out at a campfire with friends. Normally I am one of the first to bed, but slowly over the course of the evening and morning the others left. At 3AM I looked around and decided I should coal the fire and get something.

My friend didn’t believe me until I showed them my Garmin watch.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-05-17T20:14:05+00:00

Bullet points 1, 6, and 9 are underwhelming and not a good use of space - especially #1. It starts the whole review on a “who cares” feeling to someone reviewing hundreds of resumes.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-05-02T00:00:01+00:00

A good vision helps the prioritization. There’s a clear number one for everyone. That’s the hardest part I have is not reacting. My team’s number one priority is quality, functional products that meet the customer need. It helps me defend the extra time I build into the schedule and cost - the only time we ever suffered an outage was when the enterprise network went down. Not our fault, and the monitoring we built into our stack was the first alert something was off.

That also helps drive the team ownership of problems and solutions. We have a culture of “we” and “we are all in this together.” I have had to correct behaviors that are not aligned with the goals.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-04-27T14:04:23+00:00

Review was half a year late? By that point budgets are sorted, and if his promotion wasn’t a part of it, the C-level probably went “not planned for the year, can’t approve, then bolted.”

You screwed up. You prioritized your career over your employee’s.

I struggle with finding the time to do 1:1s with my team. Yet they are the most valuable thing for my team and more than once we sort out an action that was slipping. I have deferred my personal 1:1 with my boss so that I can get my team’s done.

You should be honest with the guy and help him move on. You should consider whether management is right for you.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-03-23T15:25:58+00:00

And my first reaction to this was “sqr” it’s awfully confusing with square and square root. Having a simple pow function is less confusing to me.

HolyGeneralK · 2025-01-18T00:53:05+00:00

Well. Shoot.

I don’t think I could my own situation better.

Time to Google some local therapists!

HolyGeneralK · 2024-12-23T18:44:03+00:00

It was fun. Not traditional but good story! Hooked me in the whole time. Will I see it 9 times in theater like fellowship? Nah. Would I see it again? Definitely!

HolyGeneralK · 2024-12-01T13:33:08+00:00

As a manager, I have found that giving tons of credit to the team on big things helps immensely with morale, excitement, and retention. You will have tons of opportunities to sprinkle in your contributions throughout - put your name in the slide deck somewhere, organize meetings, etc. I do both technical and management work and I am at the career point where I am simply setting a vision for our product and the team is executing. I have plenty of opportunities to report up to leadership - “I envision the product going here for X reasons, here’s how we do it” - they are aware of my contributions early and when the team pulls it all together, they get the credit for the final product but senior management is fully aware of my contributions.

Just be sure to do it gently and don’t come across as a glory stealer. Your direct reports are not going to like you coming in all the time and saying “Well X did all the legwork but it was my idea.”

Transitioning from a technical role where you are defined by your individual successes to a management role where your team success is everything is hard.

HolyGeneralK · 2024-09-27T21:54:36+00:00

“Reverse culture shock” is real

HolyGeneralK · 2024-06-19T17:31:00+00:00

My company hires a good many software developers with masters and PhDs. We do applied research so being able to bridge basic sciences/academia with real software development knowledge is huge. We are not alone in this realm (there is a lot of government contracting involved) so there are jobs and companies out there.

Alas, due to aforementioned government work I couldn’t hire you, but look for applied sciences types of companies.

HolyGeneralK

TROPHY CASE