I feel much better now.

After I published this rant, things got a lot better.

I downloaded MySQL and installed an instance on my local machine. By pointing Django there, I was able to get the connection and things started clicking. So I'm pretty confident that it was Tribune blocking the port, not me being an idiot. At least this time.

It's the small things that piss me off.

So I've embarked on learning Django. Again. But this time with gusto.

However, just like any other language, it's the small things that trip you up.

I spent a decent portion of today trying to figure out why I could not get Django to talk with a DBMs of some sort. First up was SQL Server.

The Django Book appears to indicate you can use ado_mssql. But after numerous trips in Chapter 5, particularly with the following:

>>> from django.db import connection
>>> cursor = connection.cursor()

I kept getting getting an error message. Best I could tell, the SQL Server part isn't really supported yet. But I could be wrong.

Then I decided to move on to MySQL, considering that's what everyone is using anyhoo. I could absolutely not get a connection. I was trying to use a MySQL install on my A Small Orange account...But no luck. I couldn't figure out the problem --- I checked my settings over and over, even e-mailed tech support.

Still no luck.

Best I can tell, it's because of Tribune's block of port 3306. Knowing we had an MySQL install here on one of our CAR boxes, I tried to get that working. That would seemingly show whether it was Tribune blocking the port or my idiocy.

So we'll try again tonight when I get home. But I've got my money on the port being blocked.

Frameworks!

So far, I've played around with Django here at home. But I've done nothing more than display the date and time. What can I say? I got sidetracked.

But I see IRE is going to offer a Web frameworks bootcamp during the conference in Miami. Yay!

Back from Tempe....

Well, I actually made it back from Tempe. But more important than getting back, I survived my time in Tempe.

We spent mucho time learning about regression, correlation and several other social science methods useful in journalism.

That all got me thinking.

My friend Allison is a Ph.D sociology student at the University of Colorado in Hippieville. We've spent a few e-mails talking about social science and journalism. The other day, I whined that if newspapers fail, who else is going to do this kind of work?

Her response:

"A lot of people do this kind of work. It just doesn't go as public as a story the Dallas News does. So, we start making it MORE of a priority to get research out to the public. There's definitely a movement towards this right now, but it's more
towards getting research about a particular issue to the practitioners
who work in that area, not the whole general public."

To me, this is the very problem. Social scientists write for other social scientists. Academics write for academics. It doesn't matter if academia starts trying to find more ways to publicize their work --- it's still going to be written for other academics.

During the camp, Steve Doig told of a story where a journalist presented his findings to an academic, who was astounded. "I never knew newspapers could do work like this," he said. As I remember the story, and forgive me if I'm a little off, the academic was planning to do the same work, but was going to take a year to apply for grant, start figuring out a framework, on and on and on.

Journalists can do social science-type work and make it palatable to the general public. But this kind of work dies in a compressing newsroom environment.

So this is my depressing thought for the day. I guess I really don't have a point to all of this, other than my hope we can find a way out of this current environment.

In Tempe...

Well, I made it to Tempe in one piece aboard Delta. Given the recent stories about the FAA getting nice and cozy with airlines, it wasn't a given, I suppose.

Anyways, I'm here for IRE's advanced statistics boot camp, which has me stoked. I feel like it could help shore up one of my weaknesses.

I was supposed to meet up with other students and the two teachers, Steve Doig and Jen LaFleur, for food and adult beverages...but the bed kept calling. Or something like that.

I had to leave Ft. Lauderdale on an 8 a.m. flight, which meant I had to get to the airport about 6:45 a.m. So I woke up at 5 a.m. after getting to bed somewhere around midnight.

Got to the desert fabulous Twin Palms, which features peach doors, parrots, and dogs in the lobby, about 2:30 p.m. Set the clock for 4:30 p.m. to meet them at 6 p.m. Next thing I know, it's 10 p.m.

Too bad. Oh well, it means I'm up early and ready to go this morning.

So it's off to do some journalism learning.