[geeksam]

There's also hackerbuddy.com, which exists to pair up wannabe hackers with wannabe mentors. Might not help you find someone local, though. For that, user groups are the way to go. Looks like there's an SF Python Meetup group that meets somewhat irregularly, and BayPIGgies down in Mountain View (which makes for a late night on Caltrain, but maybe once a month that's okay?).

[candre717]

^^Agree. Check out meetups and hack-a-thons. Contact any hacker spaces if there are in your area. Look at startup sites and email lists, e.g. StartupDigest. Go to one or two meetups/ dev. events and make friends. BYOC - Bring your own code. It helps if you have something started already - show that your serious.