I've been hacking on gaim to add a Yahoo-IM-style display of status messages. No other open source IM client has that, but Yahoo IM users often end up changing their status messages for entertainment value.
Alongside that, I've set up pythonconsulting.com to cover my Python-related consulting work; if you're looking for a Python expert, I might be able to find time for you.
(Linux weenies take note: I'm hosting a number of sites on a User Mode Linux virtual machine at Bytemark -- I can't recommend them highly enough for their fast, personal and expert service.)
