The Asinine
Friday, September 22, 2006
What a Strange Week
Well so a week or two ago my wife noted a couple of positions for entry level employees in my hometown. I've been less than content at my current job so applying was a little fantasy to make things easier at work, kinda like a placebo effect to make my current job a little more bearable. Well days after applying, one of the two sends me an email saying essentially "please contact us about a job".
Well normally I'm skeptical because when you use an online job hunting service the results are typically spam, at least they have been in my experience. But the job was more of a technical one and generally you don't see too many of those spamming. Plus the job was part web design which really interested me. So I called, and they were legit.
I went down to a local headhunter's office and took some tests. I scored ok-to-well, and he said he would suggest me to the client, a local ISP for small to medium businesses. Awesome! I then got notice that they would see me and wanted me to come by the beginning of the next week.
Crap. Because of my "oh so wonderful co-workers" I was working a 6 day week with no time to have an interview. I could only do one thing, call in sick. Believe it or not, that actually made me feel sick. I hate lying even for a "good cause", but in this instance I didn't think it could be helped. I HAD to take this interview for so many reasons, and there was no way I was going to be allowed to take 2-3 hours off in the middle of the busiest part of the day. It still makes my gut turn over thinking about it though.
So the day of the interview I call in sick. I have the option of using my baby as the excuse with a "she's sick" routine but God help me I'll never pimp my child like that! So I said that I wasn't feeling well which had more than a grain of truth cause I was nervous as Hell, and I said that I just wouldn't be able to make it which was also true to an extent. I'm generally pretty good at the lying, but the whole duplicity of it all just makes me cringe. So I go to the interview dressed to kill wearing slacks, neatly pressed shirt, a power-tie, shinny watch and fashionable tie-clip. Oh and my shoes, my shoes were buffed and shined!
The interview was a train wreck.
I begun by being very punctual, I showed up minutes before the interview, but I followed this up by having a small panic attack just as I sat down and nothing I said came out steady or confident. In fact I sounded like I was about to start bawling my eyes out. I hadn't done any research on the company, I was all over the place when I was talking about myself, I didn't stand when the lady interviewer (the third person to interview me interrogation style) entered the room a little late, and when I was leaving I think I took a good noticeable glance at her pregnancy amplified cleavage.
AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
Horrible. Simply Horrible.
The next day my headhunter calls me up and asks me how I thought it went. I told him horribly, and he said that was funny because they liked me and wanted me to take the next steps and get a drug test.
Hunh?
How did that happen!?!? So I find out where to take the test and such. I try to take the test that day during lunch, but it takes much too long so I decide to go the next morning. I call headhunter and let him know. The next morning I get to the pee-place early enough but still have to wait over an hour to have this stupid test taken. It gets done. When I leave I notice a message from headhunter telling me that his client wants to even go further now and I should be thinking about turning my notice into my current boss. Wow. Ok.
But the interview was HORRIBLE.
I'm at work after lunch for less than an hour and I get the call. I should turn my notice in immediately so I can start with headhunter's client ASAP. ... ok ... wow.
It doesn't end there.
JUST after I am getting my head around the whole thing the other company I applied with calls and now THEY want to interview me as well. Heh. Heh. Hehehe. Hehehehehehe. I'm fricken going insane! They aren't hiring for another MONTH though. They don't even want to start interviews for a week but for me they'll do it the very next day. WTF?!?! Why am I Mr. Wanted at the moment?!?! I know I fricken rule but COME ON!
I rearrange my schedule to be able to go to the interview in the morning of the next day. I dress just like I did for the other interview but without the tie and tie clip since I KNOW I'm not going to get THIS job. I don't have a panic attack because I know I'm not going to get this job. Hell I wasn't even nervous really. The company I was interviewing with has their logo on a PGA golfer's hat! Besides, I've never done programming outside of school or as a hobby ... aside from what little web work I've done. I was so not getting that job.
They paraded me in front of no less than 4 interviewers on top of the HR lady that originally contacted me. Everything goes as well as can be expected. I knew more about coding than I though I did. I've never gotten a job when the interview went well from my perspective however. They were so not going to call me.
They will offer me something today.
Man. With this kind of week going I think I might enter the lottery. ¶ 9:51 AM 1 comments
Well so a week or two ago my wife noted a couple of positions for entry level employees in my hometown. I've been less than content at my current job so applying was a little fantasy to make things easier at work, kinda like a placebo effect to make my current job a little more bearable. Well days after applying, one of the two sends me an email saying essentially "please contact us about a job".
Well normally I'm skeptical because when you use an online job hunting service the results are typically spam, at least they have been in my experience. But the job was more of a technical one and generally you don't see too many of those spamming. Plus the job was part web design which really interested me. So I called, and they were legit.
I went down to a local headhunter's office and took some tests. I scored ok-to-well, and he said he would suggest me to the client, a local ISP for small to medium businesses. Awesome! I then got notice that they would see me and wanted me to come by the beginning of the next week.
Crap. Because of my "oh so wonderful co-workers" I was working a 6 day week with no time to have an interview. I could only do one thing, call in sick. Believe it or not, that actually made me feel sick. I hate lying even for a "good cause", but in this instance I didn't think it could be helped. I HAD to take this interview for so many reasons, and there was no way I was going to be allowed to take 2-3 hours off in the middle of the busiest part of the day. It still makes my gut turn over thinking about it though.
So the day of the interview I call in sick. I have the option of using my baby as the excuse with a "she's sick" routine but God help me I'll never pimp my child like that! So I said that I wasn't feeling well which had more than a grain of truth cause I was nervous as Hell, and I said that I just wouldn't be able to make it which was also true to an extent. I'm generally pretty good at the lying, but the whole duplicity of it all just makes me cringe. So I go to the interview dressed to kill wearing slacks, neatly pressed shirt, a power-tie, shinny watch and fashionable tie-clip. Oh and my shoes, my shoes were buffed and shined!
The interview was a train wreck.
I begun by being very punctual, I showed up minutes before the interview, but I followed this up by having a small panic attack just as I sat down and nothing I said came out steady or confident. In fact I sounded like I was about to start bawling my eyes out. I hadn't done any research on the company, I was all over the place when I was talking about myself, I didn't stand when the lady interviewer (the third person to interview me interrogation style) entered the room a little late, and when I was leaving I think I took a good noticeable glance at her pregnancy amplified cleavage.
AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
Horrible. Simply Horrible.
The next day my headhunter calls me up and asks me how I thought it went. I told him horribly, and he said that was funny because they liked me and wanted me to take the next steps and get a drug test.
Hunh?
How did that happen!?!? So I find out where to take the test and such. I try to take the test that day during lunch, but it takes much too long so I decide to go the next morning. I call headhunter and let him know. The next morning I get to the pee-place early enough but still have to wait over an hour to have this stupid test taken. It gets done. When I leave I notice a message from headhunter telling me that his client wants to even go further now and I should be thinking about turning my notice into my current boss. Wow. Ok.
But the interview was HORRIBLE.
I'm at work after lunch for less than an hour and I get the call. I should turn my notice in immediately so I can start with headhunter's client ASAP. ... ok ... wow.
It doesn't end there.
JUST after I am getting my head around the whole thing the other company I applied with calls and now THEY want to interview me as well. Heh. Heh. Hehehe. Hehehehehehe. I'm fricken going insane! They aren't hiring for another MONTH though. They don't even want to start interviews for a week but for me they'll do it the very next day. WTF?!?! Why am I Mr. Wanted at the moment?!?! I know I fricken rule but COME ON!
I rearrange my schedule to be able to go to the interview in the morning of the next day. I dress just like I did for the other interview but without the tie and tie clip since I KNOW I'm not going to get THIS job. I don't have a panic attack because I know I'm not going to get this job. Hell I wasn't even nervous really. The company I was interviewing with has their logo on a PGA golfer's hat! Besides, I've never done programming outside of school or as a hobby ... aside from what little web work I've done. I was so not getting that job.
They paraded me in front of no less than 4 interviewers on top of the HR lady that originally contacted me. Everything goes as well as can be expected. I knew more about coding than I though I did. I've never gotten a job when the interview went well from my perspective however. They were so not going to call me.
They will offer me something today.
Man. With this kind of week going I think I might enter the lottery. ¶ 9:51 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Ee Ai Ee Ai Ooo
I usually have to sing to my little girl at nights to get her to go to sleep. I sing three little songs: This Ole Man, ABC's, and Old Mac Donald. Sometimes I try to branch out with a little Row Row Row Your Boat. I tried The Wheels on the Bus but that was such a no-go that one not only got unfavorable reviews but also a bit of an assault as my little one smacked me where the noise was coming. So we went back to the standards.
Well yesterday my darling wife tells me that she was singing to our little one and stopped right before the Ee Ai Ee Ai Oo. Seems that wouldn't do for her so she finished mommy's verse with Ee Ai Ee Ai Ee Ai ooooo :)
How cool is that?!? Fricken cool is how cool! Aw man being a daddy is awesome. ¶ 11:01 PM 0 comments
I usually have to sing to my little girl at nights to get her to go to sleep. I sing three little songs: This Ole Man, ABC's, and Old Mac Donald. Sometimes I try to branch out with a little Row Row Row Your Boat. I tried The Wheels on the Bus but that was such a no-go that one not only got unfavorable reviews but also a bit of an assault as my little one smacked me where the noise was coming. So we went back to the standards.
Well yesterday my darling wife tells me that she was singing to our little one and stopped right before the Ee Ai Ee Ai Oo. Seems that wouldn't do for her so she finished mommy's verse with Ee Ai Ee Ai Ee Ai ooooo :)
How cool is that?!? Fricken cool is how cool! Aw man being a daddy is awesome. ¶ 11:01 PM 0 comments
Coupons for the Internet Buyer
I enjoy online shopping even though I'm usually window shopping online, but to squeeze a few extra dollars out of what purchases I have made I've found www.couponchief.com where you can Choose from: coupons, coupon codes, coupon, promo code, online coupons, deal, etc. from all over the internet. There are stores you know and several that you may not have heard about. I was checking out the A&E store and found the first 6 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus on DVD for just under $15! Chilly! They even have a five episodes of Wooster and Jeeves which is another really funny British television show that my wife and I have taken to watching. Sweet stuffs.
Check out Coupon Chief and see what I mean!
¶ 10:27 PM 0 comments
I enjoy online shopping even though I'm usually window shopping online, but to squeeze a few extra dollars out of what purchases I have made I've found www.couponchief.com where you can Choose from: coupons, coupon codes, coupon, promo code, online coupons, deal, etc. from all over the internet. There are stores you know and several that you may not have heard about. I was checking out the A&E store and found the first 6 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus on DVD for just under $15! Chilly! They even have a five episodes of Wooster and Jeeves which is another really funny British television show that my wife and I have taken to watching. Sweet stuffs.
Check out Coupon Chief and see what I mean!
¶ 10:27 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Ooo The Night of Coolness Continues
Edmund Scientific is one of those places that I look to on the web with real interest and awe. Since I'm a Computer Engineering Tech. student, looking through their site is much like a kid in a candy store. Heck I get lost looking at parts catalogs much less catalogs of things that actually do stuff! Their categories include Astronomy, Chemistry, Engines Motors Gears & Pumps, Optics, Robotics, Solar Energy, Weather, and more! (I just listed my favorites). Hopefully I'll get a chance to do a product review for them (wink wink nod nod). 
¶ 11:21 PM 0 comments
¶ 11:21 PM 0 comments
Maybe The Kewlest Gmail Feature EVAR
Check out this post on the Modern Day Alchemist Blog about plus addressing with Google's Gmail. I cannot fully describe it without basically stealing the entire post so I won't even try. Trust me and check it out. It is really kewl!
¶ 10:04 PM 0 comments
Scrubbies!
So my 40 hour a week job is being a processing technician for a plasma collection center in my hometown. The $$ is ok, the insurance is A+, and the hours are better than I was getting. I have SOME concerns with my job (see previous posts) but one thing I consistently hate about my job is the horrible scrubs we get. I'm quickly ripping out the seams of mine and the color is horrible. I'm sorry I now hate Ceil Blue.
So I've been looking for new scrubs especially something a little more interesting than solid ceil blue. Ech. Well luckily I've found an interesting selection of Scrubs at reasonable prices. I think I might get a few of their Luau Print scrub tops because 1) it's an actual nice shade of blue and 2) it would drive my boss crazy
¶ 9:49 PM 0 comments
So I've been looking for new scrubs especially something a little more interesting than solid ceil blue. Ech. Well luckily I've found an interesting selection of Scrubs at reasonable prices. I think I might get a few of their Luau Print scrub tops because 1) it's an actual nice shade of blue and 2) it would drive my boss crazy
¶ 9:49 PM 0 comments
What is a Blog?
So between fiddling around with my own blog incarnations (I've had 3, the previous two were more experiments than anything else) and then joining PayPerPost I've gotten into the mode of thought that asks "what is a blog?" The wiki on blogs suggests that a blog is short for weblog and is more akin to a journal or diary ... but on the web. Well I think my blogs meet the standard of being a real blog in that case since any journal of mine would be just a disjointed and fractured as my blogs 
.
Having said that I actually think I'm going to start a second blog for my hobby. I won't tell you what my hobby is because you'll just think I'm a huge fricken nerd, which I am. I don't have to confirm that suspicion though without making you do your research first. So there.
My wife has essentially forced me to start writing more. I'll post some of the reasons on my new blog that you probably won't read. Having said that lets just say that I've wanted to write professionally for years but have always thought I'd never make anything from it. Well since I'm to the point where I've done a lot of the stuff that takes you to the point where you start making money and I'm still poor, I figure WTF?!? I might as well start enjoying myself if I'm going to be perpetually poor anyway.
I just hope I can make enough to send my princess to the state college of her choice one day
¶ 9:33 PM 0 comments
. Having said that I actually think I'm going to start a second blog for my hobby. I won't tell you what my hobby is because you'll just think I'm a huge fricken nerd, which I am. I don't have to confirm that suspicion though without making you do your research first. So there.
My wife has essentially forced me to start writing more. I'll post some of the reasons on my new blog that you probably won't read. Having said that lets just say that I've wanted to write professionally for years but have always thought I'd never make anything from it. Well since I'm to the point where I've done a lot of the stuff that takes you to the point where you start making money and I'm still poor, I figure WTF?!? I might as well start enjoying myself if I'm going to be perpetually poor anyway.
I just hope I can make enough to send my princess to the state college of her choice one day
¶ 9:33 PM 0 comments
Saturday, September 02, 2006
What Would I Pay For?!?
PayPerPost, Get Paid For Blogging, asks "What would you pay someone to do?" Wow that's an interesting question. I think primarily if I could sub-contract my full time job I would so do that, but I don't think that that is the spirit of the question.
I would so pay someone to do the grunt work on finishing my senior project! I would do all the thinkin' and all the real work, but for some reason I just don't want to touch the thing with a 10' pole!
If I could afford it I would pay someone to clean my house, to carry my things, to confront the jerks that live behind us when they blast their car radios at 2:00 AM, to teach me just about anything, or (if I could afford it) to hang out all day and play games with me. That would be cool, my own professional gamer. Hell I wouldn't mind being someone else's professional gamer ... hehehe ... OK I'm a lazy nerd. Mostly I think I would find someone to do the heavy lifting, cleaning, and car mechanic-ing. I'll gladly continue to be the part time nurse maid to my toddler (momma's full time nurse maid). Some things I just have to be a part of.
¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments
PayPerPost, Get Paid For Blogging, asks "What would you pay someone to do?" Wow that's an interesting question. I think primarily if I could sub-contract my full time job I would so do that, but I don't think that that is the spirit of the question.
I would so pay someone to do the grunt work on finishing my senior project! I would do all the thinkin' and all the real work, but for some reason I just don't want to touch the thing with a 10' pole!
If I could afford it I would pay someone to clean my house, to carry my things, to confront the jerks that live behind us when they blast their car radios at 2:00 AM, to teach me just about anything, or (if I could afford it) to hang out all day and play games with me. That would be cool, my own professional gamer. Hell I wouldn't mind being someone else's professional gamer ... hehehe ... OK I'm a lazy nerd. Mostly I think I would find someone to do the heavy lifting, cleaning, and car mechanic-ing. I'll gladly continue to be the part time nurse maid to my toddler (momma's full time nurse maid). Some things I just have to be a part of.
¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments
Happy News for Me
Well after much goading by my wife, I've submitted myself for the Editor of the Role Playing Games topic on Bella Online. Seems they liked my stuff and accepted me! Yay! Now I just have to start filling in the shoes of the previous Editor. I know this person in a small way as he and I frequent a common forum (www.kenzerco.com/forums) AND he writes for Kenzer's incredibly funny comic Knights of the Dinner Table. Lloyd is awesome. I don't know why he dropped Bella (or why they dropped him) but I'm interested in seeing if my writing can become worthy of following his lead.
We'll see. ¶ 1:15 AM 0 comments
Well after much goading by my wife, I've submitted myself for the Editor of the Role Playing Games topic on Bella Online. Seems they liked my stuff and accepted me! Yay! Now I just have to start filling in the shoes of the previous Editor. I know this person in a small way as he and I frequent a common forum (www.kenzerco.com/forums) AND he writes for Kenzer's incredibly funny comic Knights of the Dinner Table. Lloyd is awesome. I don't know why he dropped Bella (or why they dropped him) but I'm interested in seeing if my writing can become worthy of following his lead.
We'll see. ¶ 1:15 AM 0 comments
Twin Towers Video
¶ 12:53 AM 0 comments
September 3 Discovery Channel will feature a show titled Discovery Channel's "Inside the Twin Towers" where more than 15 survivors detail their experiences. The videos that I've seen include the experiences of several people trapped in an elevator and a port authority officer wondering what he should and shouldn't do. The show seems like it will be very intense. I don't think anyone should forget what happened that day and we need more programming like this, if not to remind us of what happened that day then to remind us of the heroic and enduring nature of the typical American in an untypical situation.
¶ 12:53 AM 0 comments
Friday, September 01, 2006
What's Your Pirate Name?
My pirate name is:
Mad Tom Rackham
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network
¶ 8:17 PM 0 comments
My pirate name is:
Mad Tom Rackham
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network
