You may have learned Python's advanced syntax for functions (like `*args` and `**kwargs`), but the best time to use it may still not be obvious. The goal of this talk is to provide clear advice on how and when to use the Python language features that affect functions (and methods). This talk will present a number of concrete suggestions for how to use functions effectively. With each suggestion I'll use code examples to demonstrate why this is the best choice and why other approaches aren't a good idea.