Yeah, blogging on Vicodin.
I haven't had a good toothache in a while, and perhaps that's why I've been a little careless with my sugar intake. Anyway, I was chewing on this European chocolate bar that has this bittersweet taste to it, and didn't mind it at all. But afterwards, I had an aching on my two front teeth, which then spread to the bottom ones and then during a Wii game, it got so bad that my head was pounding. The headache is usually the worst part of a toothache, and I just had to take a Vicodin because the Percocet I had taken just wasn't doing it.
Well, dishes got done in a quick hurry, and then the garbage got taken out lickety split. And now when the words do form in my head, they're coming out through my fingertips lighting fast. I just know I'm going to sleep well tonight.
---
Had another job interview today, as a shipper/receiver. The staffing company liked me okay, now it's up to the actual company to okay me to start. It's related to my last job in a way, so it should be a cinch. It's not anything exciting, but at this point I just want to be employed.
I went for an "interview" yesterday at the movie theater, and after finding out it was only part time and the pay was 7-8 bucks an hour, it was pretty much out of mind. They didn't really interview, it was just a list of questions and this one: What is your favorite movie and why?
Flicka. Because horses are the greatest.
Actually, I said that it was a rather broad question because any true movie-loving nerdball like me would simply reply, "Which genre of what year?" But I just chose "Fight Club" because it was one that popped into my head. I was given a reference form but I just tossed it out. I can't live on 7-8 bucks an hour.
---
We went to the Seattle Japanese Garden today and it was kinda nice. It wasn't as grand as I thought it might be, but it was still really nice. The kids got to see some things they've never seen before, so they were pretty happy about it. I'll get some photos up soon.
---
God, my heart's just racing.
---
By the way, I'm pretty upset about the recent slate of news of men killing their families. The professional wrestler, the pregnant wife, and the guy who blamed his wife for the shooting... It's odd to say this, but whatever happened to just running away or divorce? I think it's just terrible when kids have to pay the price of adult mistakes.
---
I was watching something on the history channel and the factoid that Budapest had a drunk driving BAL limit of 0.0 struck me as awesome. I think if I ever had the money to do it, I would run for Governor or Mayor on the very radical platform of drunk driving will warrant serious jail time, serious offending would be caning, and guns are just illegal. I will not get elected, but I think that's the issue right there. Politicians are so afraid of not getting any votes if they were that radical that they play it safe, and nothing ever gets accomplished. It would take a radical candidate to bring those ideas to the forefront, that someone is willing to put that subject on the table, and is willing to risk the popular vote to do it.
We just read so much bad news about these terrible things like gun deaths, drunk driving deaths, and it seems that nobody wants to really do anything about it. They'd rather just talk about it over and over until nobody wants to talk about it anymore.
All we need are some candidates who truly take a solid stance, and then the idea would become less more commonplace and acceptable. Think of it. No tolerance for drunk driving. It's really not that tough of a stance.
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Cross Crunch
That's the ad on TV.
---
So I've gotten desperate about the job hunting, pretty much hanging a sign around my neck, flashing some thigh, and hoping that someone will at least pay not to have sex with me. But nobody's really biting. I don't think I've applied to this many positions - last week was about 6, this week about the same. 2 on Monday, and 4 today. This wouldn't be a big deal except I practically rewrite every resume and cover letter for each position, mostly because I am applying for different sorts of jobs. Hopefully one of the ones today will click, at least for an interview. Haven't even gotten to second base for most of these guys.
---
So I got Resident Evil 4 couple days ago, and have been playing it intermittedly because of kids/wife seeing material that's a bit much for them. For the most part, it isn't exactly super scary, but certainly scary enough. I play with the volume lower than usual, and I take cautious steps in the game.
And what do I think of the game? Fantastic. It's a tough game - some stages, especially the initial surge of villagers (they're not zombies, but infected people who just want to kill you), are really quite tough. It's not a cakewalk, and it's not so difficult that one would just throw the controller down in frustration. The controls took a bit of getting used to, but now it's a cinch.
The game does everything just right - just the right amount of bullets, the right amount of difficulty, and the right amount of challenge to keep things interesting. The enemies aren't a one shot kill, often taking several hits before going down. Glitches are few and far between - the one time when I shot a leg and the head exploded was pretty funny.
But yeah, really having fun with the game.
---
So I've gotten desperate about the job hunting, pretty much hanging a sign around my neck, flashing some thigh, and hoping that someone will at least pay not to have sex with me. But nobody's really biting. I don't think I've applied to this many positions - last week was about 6, this week about the same. 2 on Monday, and 4 today. This wouldn't be a big deal except I practically rewrite every resume and cover letter for each position, mostly because I am applying for different sorts of jobs. Hopefully one of the ones today will click, at least for an interview. Haven't even gotten to second base for most of these guys.
---
So I got Resident Evil 4 couple days ago, and have been playing it intermittedly because of kids/wife seeing material that's a bit much for them. For the most part, it isn't exactly super scary, but certainly scary enough. I play with the volume lower than usual, and I take cautious steps in the game.
And what do I think of the game? Fantastic. It's a tough game - some stages, especially the initial surge of villagers (they're not zombies, but infected people who just want to kill you), are really quite tough. It's not a cakewalk, and it's not so difficult that one would just throw the controller down in frustration. The controls took a bit of getting used to, but now it's a cinch.
The game does everything just right - just the right amount of bullets, the right amount of difficulty, and the right amount of challenge to keep things interesting. The enemies aren't a one shot kill, often taking several hits before going down. Glitches are few and far between - the one time when I shot a leg and the head exploded was pretty funny.
But yeah, really having fun with the game.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Desperate Measures
Well, our dwindling funds and my slow spiral into insanity made me do the unthinkable today. I applied for two walking distance jobs, at a video store and at a movie theater. I know I'm over-qualified - I knew that when one of the questions were, "Are you over 16?" and they didn't really bother to list if there were any colleges attended. But I figure if nothing else pans out, I'll still have something embarrassingly minimum wage to tide me over while I look for something more substantial. I would at least give them six months or something. And free movies can be a perk anyway.
---
To much of my chagrin, I went to Game Crazy today to pay for my pre-order of Resident Evil 4 for the Wii, and they gave me the dumbest excuse - That the vendor ships the game on the day it is released and they won't get it till tomorrow. Yes, that completely betrays the point of actually having a release date for a product. So I called Fred Meyer because I thought they might have it, and they don't. C'mon, guys. It's a release date! Next thing you know, I'll go to see Transformers on the 4th of July and they'll say it'll be the next day - they're shipping it from L.A. Silly. I gave up because I didn't want to run all over town looking for a copy. Looks like I'll just have to wait till tomorrow for a copy of this AWESOME game.
I'd admit, in the last week or so a couple of my friends have expressed interest in getting a Wii for the exercise, and to tell everyone the truth right now - I don't get that much exercise from the Wii. The excellent "Wii Sports" is a blast - but it's much more fun as a group activity. Doing it yourself seems like, well, doing it yourself. Much like playing a fighting game by yourself - it ain't bad, but you feel like there's something missing.
But RE4 is exactly what I've been waiting for - even though it's technically a 2 year old game that's a port from Gamecube. But free-rein aiming, a bit of the old slashy-slashy with the Wii Remote... it's all good. I'm not a big horror-adventure guy, but that game sounds like it'll just cheer me up.
---
Alex's got some sort of bug - his appetite isn't intact and he's got a little bit of a temperture. I've got the allergy headache, so my head's somewhere else. Seems like the guys are out of it in this house. Hopefully it'll go away soon.
---
Finally watched "Pan's Labyrinth" after reading about all the acclaim, and I'd have to say that it was a really good movie, but was somehow marketed as something different. I think the fantasy part of it was played up a lot in the ads, and yeah, it's a big part of the movie, but the true essence of the movie is far less fantastical, and actually quite grim and dark. But definitely a good one to catch in your lifetime.
---
June 29 is somewhat a big day. iPhone's coming out. Sicko is coming out. And Ratatouille is coming out. I'll only be able to indulge in one of those.
---
To much of my chagrin, I went to Game Crazy today to pay for my pre-order of Resident Evil 4 for the Wii, and they gave me the dumbest excuse - That the vendor ships the game on the day it is released and they won't get it till tomorrow. Yes, that completely betrays the point of actually having a release date for a product. So I called Fred Meyer because I thought they might have it, and they don't. C'mon, guys. It's a release date! Next thing you know, I'll go to see Transformers on the 4th of July and they'll say it'll be the next day - they're shipping it from L.A. Silly. I gave up because I didn't want to run all over town looking for a copy. Looks like I'll just have to wait till tomorrow for a copy of this AWESOME game.
I'd admit, in the last week or so a couple of my friends have expressed interest in getting a Wii for the exercise, and to tell everyone the truth right now - I don't get that much exercise from the Wii. The excellent "Wii Sports" is a blast - but it's much more fun as a group activity. Doing it yourself seems like, well, doing it yourself. Much like playing a fighting game by yourself - it ain't bad, but you feel like there's something missing.
But RE4 is exactly what I've been waiting for - even though it's technically a 2 year old game that's a port from Gamecube. But free-rein aiming, a bit of the old slashy-slashy with the Wii Remote... it's all good. I'm not a big horror-adventure guy, but that game sounds like it'll just cheer me up.
---
Alex's got some sort of bug - his appetite isn't intact and he's got a little bit of a temperture. I've got the allergy headache, so my head's somewhere else. Seems like the guys are out of it in this house. Hopefully it'll go away soon.
---
Finally watched "Pan's Labyrinth" after reading about all the acclaim, and I'd have to say that it was a really good movie, but was somehow marketed as something different. I think the fantasy part of it was played up a lot in the ads, and yeah, it's a big part of the movie, but the true essence of the movie is far less fantastical, and actually quite grim and dark. But definitely a good one to catch in your lifetime.
---
June 29 is somewhat a big day. iPhone's coming out. Sicko is coming out. And Ratatouille is coming out. I'll only be able to indulge in one of those.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The Big Tease
I promised myself, once my Cingular contract runs out, I'm gonna cancel that bill out of my life. I'm not a phone talker, and I'm certainly not using all my minutes on my plan, rollover or not, and it's sucking out 50 bucks a month out of me. The long distance is nice, but since I'm home most of the time, I ain't got no one to text. Well, now for some inexplicable reason other than tech greed, I'm keeping my account active because maybe, maybe something might be plausible and the iPhone might be in my hand, if the stars align and God doesn't hate me too much for that last post.
Anyway, the new iPhone ads at Apple.com are just pure porn to me - they simply show you how to watch your movie, look on the map, call for a reservation, all with a digit flowing around the screen with incredible ease. The music is unassuming and plain, the delivery matter-of-factly, and there's no bells or whistles - other than the cool iPhone, of course.
Well, Macrumors and other sites are now exclaiming all kinds of tidbits like, "No 2 year contract required on new ads!" and "data plans may just be 40 bucks!" and "just donate an organ and we'll call it even, and it doesn't even have to be your organ!" For some odd reason, it seems like it's more in reach, that maybe with some mojo owning one might be possible. Even though I know it's not, really.
I couldn't imagine getting an iPhone without a contract would be good, though. Be like pricey as hell.
What can I sell that isn't illegal...
---
So the job market is continually mocking me with showing initial interest, and then dropping off the face of the earth. Okay, the Apple thing burned me - 3rd week now and they promised to call "later that week." I feel like the date after the one night stand who believed that not everyone thought that wearing a dress necessarily meant that I didn't have a penis.
Well, yesterday I got an email of interest for a job that I applied for, and it's - promise not to laugh at my face - a video game tester. Yeah, it's a real job, likely doesn't pay that great, but it's something that might be interesting for a while. Mostly because it'll be a contract position, with no career advancement. Anyway, I emailed back my answers in a hurry, and kept checking the email today, but nothing. Maybe they're just running through the applicants. Maybe "Because I look good in a thong" wasn't a good answer for Question 5. Or Question 14, for that matter.
---
The forces of the universe have suddenly transported me back to the 70s. I borrowed a comic book about the 70s from the library, and it's a collection of panels that are done by various artists, covering various aspects of a theme. I have one of my own called "The Big Book of Death", and it's all about that theme. Well, this one's about the 70s, so they called about Nixon, Hoffa, Free Love, TV, Drugs, Jiggle TV, all that sort of thing. Well, I also started liking the History Channel so I started DVR-ing the interesting shows, and guess what - that week they chose to obsess about the 70s too. I got crossover knowledge about Jonestown, muscle cars, the gas shortage, the microchip and Pong, and the popularization of CB radios that decade.
There was an interesting one because it was some odd bastardization of a documentary, called, "History Rocks." It took a subject, scored it to a popular song from the 70s, and had facts pop up about it throughout. For example, "Don't Fear the Reaper" played throughout the clips and facts of Jonestown. I've seen this done in "One Day in September" before, and it's weird because the music coupled with the images is cool alright, but it does set the mood and tone for the whole thing, brings you back to that time period in an instant. It's pop history in a way, but for a nerd like me, I'd be Wikipediaing the topics after the show ended.
Watch the clip I'm talking about.
Anyway, the new iPhone ads at Apple.com are just pure porn to me - they simply show you how to watch your movie, look on the map, call for a reservation, all with a digit flowing around the screen with incredible ease. The music is unassuming and plain, the delivery matter-of-factly, and there's no bells or whistles - other than the cool iPhone, of course.
Well, Macrumors and other sites are now exclaiming all kinds of tidbits like, "No 2 year contract required on new ads!" and "data plans may just be 40 bucks!" and "just donate an organ and we'll call it even, and it doesn't even have to be your organ!" For some odd reason, it seems like it's more in reach, that maybe with some mojo owning one might be possible. Even though I know it's not, really.
I couldn't imagine getting an iPhone without a contract would be good, though. Be like pricey as hell.
What can I sell that isn't illegal...
---
So the job market is continually mocking me with showing initial interest, and then dropping off the face of the earth. Okay, the Apple thing burned me - 3rd week now and they promised to call "later that week." I feel like the date after the one night stand who believed that not everyone thought that wearing a dress necessarily meant that I didn't have a penis.
Well, yesterday I got an email of interest for a job that I applied for, and it's - promise not to laugh at my face - a video game tester. Yeah, it's a real job, likely doesn't pay that great, but it's something that might be interesting for a while. Mostly because it'll be a contract position, with no career advancement. Anyway, I emailed back my answers in a hurry, and kept checking the email today, but nothing. Maybe they're just running through the applicants. Maybe "Because I look good in a thong" wasn't a good answer for Question 5. Or Question 14, for that matter.
---
The forces of the universe have suddenly transported me back to the 70s. I borrowed a comic book about the 70s from the library, and it's a collection of panels that are done by various artists, covering various aspects of a theme. I have one of my own called "The Big Book of Death", and it's all about that theme. Well, this one's about the 70s, so they called about Nixon, Hoffa, Free Love, TV, Drugs, Jiggle TV, all that sort of thing. Well, I also started liking the History Channel so I started DVR-ing the interesting shows, and guess what - that week they chose to obsess about the 70s too. I got crossover knowledge about Jonestown, muscle cars, the gas shortage, the microchip and Pong, and the popularization of CB radios that decade.
There was an interesting one because it was some odd bastardization of a documentary, called, "History Rocks." It took a subject, scored it to a popular song from the 70s, and had facts pop up about it throughout. For example, "Don't Fear the Reaper" played throughout the clips and facts of Jonestown. I've seen this done in "One Day in September" before, and it's weird because the music coupled with the images is cool alright, but it does set the mood and tone for the whole thing, brings you back to that time period in an instant. It's pop history in a way, but for a nerd like me, I'd be Wikipediaing the topics after the show ended.
Watch the clip I'm talking about.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Job Hunting Makes Me Wanna Throw Myself out a Window
I really wasted my time on a film degree.
Looking for jobs can be very depressing at times - All these professions that I would've never given a second glance and all the professions that actually pay well, coupled with the act of trying to swallow my big fat pride is stressing me out. Looking for a position that has something to do with video editing is depressing. Only 7 job postings. In the whole country, according to a popular job site. And half of them are mislabeled. Of course, if I moved to another state, it wouldn't be a problem, but Washington has nothing for people like me, unless I wanna get back into videography. The three that stood out soon died down - Being a window washer/janitor was the best pay, at 15-22 bucks an hour, but I have no custodial experience and I have to fight my pride about being a college graduate. Being a teller at a bank flew out the window when I googled it - 10 bucks an hour is just depressing. And Video Game Tester is a great job to be had - if you only wish to be a contractor who wants 90 day employment. Hopefully tomorrow more job postings will pop up. I've got to get serious about the job hunt because I don't think I'm doing the kids any favors. I'm cranky Dad again.
---
We went to the zoo on Thursday and it was so hot out that most of the animals decided to call it quits, and just mellow out. I got photos of a tiger sprawled lazily on its back, an elephant's ass laying down, and other assortment of animals in various poses of rest. But the kids had a lot of fun, drinking Icees and checking out the wildlife. I got a few photos, but nothing really special.
---
iPhoto.
I'm sorry I doubted you for so long, and ignored you for even longer. At first you were simply impossible because of my slow hardware, but even when you came bundled with the iMac and installed in the iBook, I didn't take the time to get to know you and appreciate all you have to offer. Instead, I just concentrated on the tweaky file hierarchy that iPhoto used that made all the photos live within piles of buried folders, making a simple library into a mess of data. Little did I know that you were actually the photo management app that I've been waiting for. Oh iPhoto. Will you ever forgive me?
--
I've used iView Media Pro forever, and I've liked it because it's easy, file compatible with a ton of formats, and just clean when it came to the interface. I played around with iPhoto with a bit recently, and realized that I might have written it off too soon. The pros suddenly outweighed the cons, and I transferred all my photos over to iPhoto for some lovin', and I haven't regretted it.
Pros:
Edit in Fullscreen is nice. The hiding scroll bars and menu make it easy to see your photo, and edit it with ease. iView had a pseudo full screen called Lightbox, but you couldn't edit in it, and going from one photo to the next required a short but stuttering load time.
Effects/Adjustments HUD is nice too. I liked it in Aperture, but that program is a bit slow. Surprisingly, I ran it in one of the Apple stores and it even ran slow on their machines. I suppose unless you're running a Pro setup, it's just not for your average bear. But having access to Temperature, Saturation, Straightening and Sharpness as a slider is very, very nice. The edit tools in iView are okay, but more like an afterthought.
Revert to Original is very nice. In a nutcase, it's non-destructive editing. You can dick around with your photo, quit, realize how much you suck, go back, and it'll have the original tucked away. You can dupe the original and keep that, or just revert. Aperture had that going, which I liked a lot. Now I can crop, add cheesy effects, and experiment without being afraid that I was going to kill my original.
Export is nice. I used to have to dupe it, resize it slowly with automator, and then upload it to Twango or Flickr. Now I can just export from my library and it resizes a heck of a lot quicker, and it's ready to go.
The interface of course, is excellent. Autosave is nice too. I just love iPhoto all over now.
---
I'm experiencing that disconnect with the kids again. Recently Zoe has had a hairpin trigger for her emotions, though I suspect a lot of it is over reactive and being an attention hoarder. She'll cry at the slightest provocation - if Alex brushes against her, or if I tell her no on anything. Of course, her crying wolf has had an unwanted effect, that when she really needs the attention, she doesn't get it because we don't know if it's really a cry for help or attention. We can usually gauge by how quickly she recovers from her sorrow - it's usually not very long before she's laughing.
Alex on the other hand, has been messing with boundaries as well. Zoe's guilty of this too, but Alex is really stretching out that toe of his by getting upset at rules he knows to be concrete. He's been pestering Zoe a lot, and defying authority left and right. There are times when I really try not to fly off my handle when he reacts to my scolding - I guess the closest way to describe it is mocking me. He doesn't exactly make fun of me or what I'm telling him, but he is obviously not listening and have a disregard for the reasons why he shouldn't be doing what he's doing. This drives me quite mad because it's disrespectful. I know, he doesn't even know what disrespectful is, but I'd wish he'd try a little harder to get along with Zoe and me.
So anyway, I hope this "thing" will subside soon, because it's getting kinda tough being with these guys and having to keep them in line. I really just want to have fun with them, or spend time with them without every step being a major battle.
---
So the new iPhone ads came out today, and it made me wonder once again if I needed one. Of course, I know I don't, but the ease and simplicity and possibilities that the ads present are just so ... sexy. Zip, zip, zip... of course, I imagine that after every shot, the iPhone had to have fingerprints wiped off. Watching the keynote the second time, after Steve Jobs spend a few minutes with it, the beautiful iPhone was subject to smudgy, greasy fingerprints all over it's screen. And he's not even a palm sweater like me. I need more friends to have an iPhone.
But 499/599 plus a two year contract plus monthly phone and data? I can't fanthom the cost of maintaining that.
Looking for jobs can be very depressing at times - All these professions that I would've never given a second glance and all the professions that actually pay well, coupled with the act of trying to swallow my big fat pride is stressing me out. Looking for a position that has something to do with video editing is depressing. Only 7 job postings. In the whole country, according to a popular job site. And half of them are mislabeled. Of course, if I moved to another state, it wouldn't be a problem, but Washington has nothing for people like me, unless I wanna get back into videography. The three that stood out soon died down - Being a window washer/janitor was the best pay, at 15-22 bucks an hour, but I have no custodial experience and I have to fight my pride about being a college graduate. Being a teller at a bank flew out the window when I googled it - 10 bucks an hour is just depressing. And Video Game Tester is a great job to be had - if you only wish to be a contractor who wants 90 day employment. Hopefully tomorrow more job postings will pop up. I've got to get serious about the job hunt because I don't think I'm doing the kids any favors. I'm cranky Dad again.
---
We went to the zoo on Thursday and it was so hot out that most of the animals decided to call it quits, and just mellow out. I got photos of a tiger sprawled lazily on its back, an elephant's ass laying down, and other assortment of animals in various poses of rest. But the kids had a lot of fun, drinking Icees and checking out the wildlife. I got a few photos, but nothing really special.
---
iPhoto.
I'm sorry I doubted you for so long, and ignored you for even longer. At first you were simply impossible because of my slow hardware, but even when you came bundled with the iMac and installed in the iBook, I didn't take the time to get to know you and appreciate all you have to offer. Instead, I just concentrated on the tweaky file hierarchy that iPhoto used that made all the photos live within piles of buried folders, making a simple library into a mess of data. Little did I know that you were actually the photo management app that I've been waiting for. Oh iPhoto. Will you ever forgive me?
--
I've used iView Media Pro forever, and I've liked it because it's easy, file compatible with a ton of formats, and just clean when it came to the interface. I played around with iPhoto with a bit recently, and realized that I might have written it off too soon. The pros suddenly outweighed the cons, and I transferred all my photos over to iPhoto for some lovin', and I haven't regretted it.
Pros:
Edit in Fullscreen is nice. The hiding scroll bars and menu make it easy to see your photo, and edit it with ease. iView had a pseudo full screen called Lightbox, but you couldn't edit in it, and going from one photo to the next required a short but stuttering load time.
Effects/Adjustments HUD is nice too. I liked it in Aperture, but that program is a bit slow. Surprisingly, I ran it in one of the Apple stores and it even ran slow on their machines. I suppose unless you're running a Pro setup, it's just not for your average bear. But having access to Temperature, Saturation, Straightening and Sharpness as a slider is very, very nice. The edit tools in iView are okay, but more like an afterthought.
Revert to Original is very nice. In a nutcase, it's non-destructive editing. You can dick around with your photo, quit, realize how much you suck, go back, and it'll have the original tucked away. You can dupe the original and keep that, or just revert. Aperture had that going, which I liked a lot. Now I can crop, add cheesy effects, and experiment without being afraid that I was going to kill my original.
Export is nice. I used to have to dupe it, resize it slowly with automator, and then upload it to Twango or Flickr. Now I can just export from my library and it resizes a heck of a lot quicker, and it's ready to go.
The interface of course, is excellent. Autosave is nice too. I just love iPhoto all over now.
---
I'm experiencing that disconnect with the kids again. Recently Zoe has had a hairpin trigger for her emotions, though I suspect a lot of it is over reactive and being an attention hoarder. She'll cry at the slightest provocation - if Alex brushes against her, or if I tell her no on anything. Of course, her crying wolf has had an unwanted effect, that when she really needs the attention, she doesn't get it because we don't know if it's really a cry for help or attention. We can usually gauge by how quickly she recovers from her sorrow - it's usually not very long before she's laughing.
Alex on the other hand, has been messing with boundaries as well. Zoe's guilty of this too, but Alex is really stretching out that toe of his by getting upset at rules he knows to be concrete. He's been pestering Zoe a lot, and defying authority left and right. There are times when I really try not to fly off my handle when he reacts to my scolding - I guess the closest way to describe it is mocking me. He doesn't exactly make fun of me or what I'm telling him, but he is obviously not listening and have a disregard for the reasons why he shouldn't be doing what he's doing. This drives me quite mad because it's disrespectful. I know, he doesn't even know what disrespectful is, but I'd wish he'd try a little harder to get along with Zoe and me.
So anyway, I hope this "thing" will subside soon, because it's getting kinda tough being with these guys and having to keep them in line. I really just want to have fun with them, or spend time with them without every step being a major battle.
---
So the new iPhone ads came out today, and it made me wonder once again if I needed one. Of course, I know I don't, but the ease and simplicity and possibilities that the ads present are just so ... sexy. Zip, zip, zip... of course, I imagine that after every shot, the iPhone had to have fingerprints wiped off. Watching the keynote the second time, after Steve Jobs spend a few minutes with it, the beautiful iPhone was subject to smudgy, greasy fingerprints all over it's screen. And he's not even a palm sweater like me. I need more friends to have an iPhone.
But 499/599 plus a two year contract plus monthly phone and data? I can't fanthom the cost of maintaining that.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Ugh.
Haven't written in a while because there's been quite a bit going on. Today for instance, I was pretty much off my feet because I was sick. Again. Bit of a fever, bit of fatigue, and slept through most of the day. Just not feeling all that great. On top of that, there's been extra work because weddings are just popping up left and right.
----
I met a friend yesterday that I haven't seen in like 12 years, since we both graduated from high school. These days she's busy with her two boys, and just being a stay at home mother. She picked up the conversation pretty easily, and I realized how incredibly rusty my Cantonese was. She didn't speak to me that much in Cantonese, but when she talked to her son I couldn't understand most of it. Yeah, when I can't words to a 4 year old, that probably means I need a bit of help.
But throughout the conversation, I just got that feeling that I was behind in life. Not really got a career going, not really pulling in money to support the family. It was a bit sad. She told me that I looked the same, except for my facial hair, which she didn't like all that much. I guess I'm not catching any breaks from the Asian community. We had to leave after about 2 hours because the kids hadn't eaten lunch, but it was a good meeting.
----
I had a stroke of bummer luck for a bit, just getting overwhelmed with work and then having not very good nights with the kids. Allergy season's kicking off so there's been some times whereby I'm either knocked out by the medication which gives me a serious fatigue problem, or I'm sneezing my head off.
But the other night, oddly enough after office hours, I got an email from Apple asking me if I wanted to go to a job seminar. I had applied months before, so it was a little surprising hearing about it. Did some homework about it, and I'm still far away from an actual job offer, so I'm not going to jinx it. The seminar isn't till the end of the month, and details are still non-existant. But I'm pretty excited.
---
We watched "Night at the Museum" with the kids tonight, and Alex really enjoyed the dinosaur. Zoe got a little bored and she was climbing all over the couch. The kids were up a bit later than usual, but I think they really enjoyed the movie.
Okay, I'm not as clear minded as I thought I was.
----
I met a friend yesterday that I haven't seen in like 12 years, since we both graduated from high school. These days she's busy with her two boys, and just being a stay at home mother. She picked up the conversation pretty easily, and I realized how incredibly rusty my Cantonese was. She didn't speak to me that much in Cantonese, but when she talked to her son I couldn't understand most of it. Yeah, when I can't words to a 4 year old, that probably means I need a bit of help.
But throughout the conversation, I just got that feeling that I was behind in life. Not really got a career going, not really pulling in money to support the family. It was a bit sad. She told me that I looked the same, except for my facial hair, which she didn't like all that much. I guess I'm not catching any breaks from the Asian community. We had to leave after about 2 hours because the kids hadn't eaten lunch, but it was a good meeting.
----
I had a stroke of bummer luck for a bit, just getting overwhelmed with work and then having not very good nights with the kids. Allergy season's kicking off so there's been some times whereby I'm either knocked out by the medication which gives me a serious fatigue problem, or I'm sneezing my head off.
But the other night, oddly enough after office hours, I got an email from Apple asking me if I wanted to go to a job seminar. I had applied months before, so it was a little surprising hearing about it. Did some homework about it, and I'm still far away from an actual job offer, so I'm not going to jinx it. The seminar isn't till the end of the month, and details are still non-existant. But I'm pretty excited.
---
We watched "Night at the Museum" with the kids tonight, and Alex really enjoyed the dinosaur. Zoe got a little bored and she was climbing all over the couch. The kids were up a bit later than usual, but I think they really enjoyed the movie.
Okay, I'm not as clear minded as I thought I was.
Friday, January 26, 2007
New Glasses, But Not New Job
Well, like a fat bridesmaid with a skin condition, the insurance company that I interviewed for yesterday sent me an email today stating that I was not insurance material. It wasn't really a surprise and at the same time, it was slightly disappointing. I think if the job was indeed going out on the field and settling claims fairly, and to the customer's favor, then I would probably do well. But the reality of it is, I would be working for the company, therefore I should be trying to save the company money, not giving it away.
I guess I'm free to talk about it now, but it's nothing new from what I mentioned yesterday, except that the insurance company was Farmers Insurance. There's even an entire website dedicated to putting the company down. And after reading some of the job descriptions, I wasn't really sure if it was something that I could do. I mean, I'm a big pansy. I like to entertain, nuture, and grope. I'm not really the cutthroat type at all. I guess it's back to the job boards.
------
So I got my new glasses today, and I feel like I'm looking through magnifying glasses. They look better than my current glasses in the sense that they don't make me look like a tard, but they feel very different. As the folks at Lenscrafters said, they're the trendy look. I'm thinking, "I'm not trendy or current. I'm reliable and boring!"
The new Ray Bans are a little odd, and everytime I look in the mirror I try to see if the rectangular shape does indeed enhance my face. Or make it stand out. It sure is giving me a heck of a headache though. I'd imagine I'll be braindead by the end of the day.
------
Speaking of dead things, my wife accidently closed the car door on her pinkie today, and it's a gorgeous shade of black now. She was hopping in pain up and down the street, and her Dance of Pain was too animated for me not to laugh insensitively. Hey man, picture Napolean (she was holding her damaged hand under her jacket, so she looked like Napolean in stance) hopping around looking like she was doing a rain dance with a full bladder on hot coals. It's all that.
Well, I have to go stare at something neutral to calm my brain now. Maybe a wall or something. That sounds good.
I guess I'm free to talk about it now, but it's nothing new from what I mentioned yesterday, except that the insurance company was Farmers Insurance. There's even an entire website dedicated to putting the company down. And after reading some of the job descriptions, I wasn't really sure if it was something that I could do. I mean, I'm a big pansy. I like to entertain, nuture, and grope. I'm not really the cutthroat type at all. I guess it's back to the job boards.
------
So I got my new glasses today, and I feel like I'm looking through magnifying glasses. They look better than my current glasses in the sense that they don't make me look like a tard, but they feel very different. As the folks at Lenscrafters said, they're the trendy look. I'm thinking, "I'm not trendy or current. I'm reliable and boring!"
The new Ray Bans are a little odd, and everytime I look in the mirror I try to see if the rectangular shape does indeed enhance my face. Or make it stand out. It sure is giving me a heck of a headache though. I'd imagine I'll be braindead by the end of the day.
------
Speaking of dead things, my wife accidently closed the car door on her pinkie today, and it's a gorgeous shade of black now. She was hopping in pain up and down the street, and her Dance of Pain was too animated for me not to laugh insensitively. Hey man, picture Napolean (she was holding her damaged hand under her jacket, so she looked like Napolean in stance) hopping around looking like she was doing a rain dance with a full bladder on hot coals. It's all that.
Well, I have to go stare at something neutral to calm my brain now. Maybe a wall or something. That sounds good.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
The Interview
That's pretty much been the gist of my day. The job that I applied for two days ago has an all day on-site interview event today, so I spent most of last night slightly off because my sleep schedule was completely out of whack. Then I woke up today, kinda took my time, got into my monkey suit, and went for the interview. So I was thinking that they'd be some delay, maybe a bit of waiting time, but no. This other guy and I who went in at the same time got signed in, and whisked away to another room with computers. Introductions were passed around as I practiced my art of "instantly forgetting names as soon as I learn them." I was just born with it.
Anyway, I felt pretty manly for a second because I had already filled out an online application, and the other guy hadn't. So I got whisked away to another room with more computers, and I had to go through a profile program thingy. I didn't worry too terribly much about it, since I've taken them before. They ask you pretty basic questions to weed out the doofuses and whatnot. So I got signed in, and I'm taking the first part of the test.
It's a personality test of sorts. Do you lose your temper? Do you volunteer to help? When was the last time you volunteered to help someone else, etc. I answer the questions somewhat honestly, though I'm pushing the confidence bit a little more than I really am. No one wants to hire a mouse. Especially one who seeks constant approval. So I'm breezing through it, la la la.
The second part was when my edges of my eyes started to throb. It was to do with following policies and rules, but no, it wasn't that simple. It was deductive policing sorting. If a person has Health Plan 1, they can either have Dental 1, but not 2. Optical Plan 1 or 2. So if they had a pet monkey with rabies, what plan must they have to get their shot? That sort of thing. And they threw different situations, not just the health care bit. I struggled a bit through it, having to utilize that peanut that's been dormant in my noggin. There was also a time limit before the program kicked you out, so I couldn't use all my toes to aid with the questions.
The third part I was bleeding from my ears, and I suffered a fair amount of hair loss. It was freakin' problem math. Percentages, fractions, all in story form. I had to quickly remember how the hell to do math, and it's really tough when there's a timer and you have to keep wiping your nosebleeds and tears from your face. I even got kicked out from the last two questions because I had run out of time.
I thought I was done for, and yeah, I was damned surprised when she told me that I had passed. By then I was so happy that it was over that I didn't even care why I was even there. But they lead me to another room and three managers proceeded to mentally rape my fragile mind with THE INTERVIEW.
I stuttered, stumbled, and mumbled my way through the interview, and though they didn't seem overly impressed with me, they didn't hate me either. It's a matter of, if the rest of the day everyone sucked big ass, then I might have a chance. They said they'll keep in contact with me, which means I'm not out of the game, but I'm not in the ball park quite yet.
So I got home, being unable to really focus on anything after that experience, and later tonight, I was reading about the position online. People who have worked for and with claims adjusters. The news was downright depressing. The insurance company I applied for has the worst customer service - bottom of the barrel of insurance companies. They leave their customers unhappy. Even worse, there was even a lawsuit filed by its employees against the employer for failing to pay overtime wages in CA. The turnover rate is high, working overtime is common, and the push is to save the company money.
But you know, I'm trying to take this all in stride. I'm not working for the company as of yet, and damnit, if I had to deal with those things, then I'll deal with it then. We'll see what happens.
Anyway, I felt pretty manly for a second because I had already filled out an online application, and the other guy hadn't. So I got whisked away to another room with more computers, and I had to go through a profile program thingy. I didn't worry too terribly much about it, since I've taken them before. They ask you pretty basic questions to weed out the doofuses and whatnot. So I got signed in, and I'm taking the first part of the test.
It's a personality test of sorts. Do you lose your temper? Do you volunteer to help? When was the last time you volunteered to help someone else, etc. I answer the questions somewhat honestly, though I'm pushing the confidence bit a little more than I really am. No one wants to hire a mouse. Especially one who seeks constant approval. So I'm breezing through it, la la la.
The second part was when my edges of my eyes started to throb. It was to do with following policies and rules, but no, it wasn't that simple. It was deductive policing sorting. If a person has Health Plan 1, they can either have Dental 1, but not 2. Optical Plan 1 or 2. So if they had a pet monkey with rabies, what plan must they have to get their shot? That sort of thing. And they threw different situations, not just the health care bit. I struggled a bit through it, having to utilize that peanut that's been dormant in my noggin. There was also a time limit before the program kicked you out, so I couldn't use all my toes to aid with the questions.
The third part I was bleeding from my ears, and I suffered a fair amount of hair loss. It was freakin' problem math. Percentages, fractions, all in story form. I had to quickly remember how the hell to do math, and it's really tough when there's a timer and you have to keep wiping your nosebleeds and tears from your face. I even got kicked out from the last two questions because I had run out of time.
I thought I was done for, and yeah, I was damned surprised when she told me that I had passed. By then I was so happy that it was over that I didn't even care why I was even there. But they lead me to another room and three managers proceeded to mentally rape my fragile mind with THE INTERVIEW.
I stuttered, stumbled, and mumbled my way through the interview, and though they didn't seem overly impressed with me, they didn't hate me either. It's a matter of, if the rest of the day everyone sucked big ass, then I might have a chance. They said they'll keep in contact with me, which means I'm not out of the game, but I'm not in the ball park quite yet.
So I got home, being unable to really focus on anything after that experience, and later tonight, I was reading about the position online. People who have worked for and with claims adjusters. The news was downright depressing. The insurance company I applied for has the worst customer service - bottom of the barrel of insurance companies. They leave their customers unhappy. Even worse, there was even a lawsuit filed by its employees against the employer for failing to pay overtime wages in CA. The turnover rate is high, working overtime is common, and the push is to save the company money.
But you know, I'm trying to take this all in stride. I'm not working for the company as of yet, and damnit, if I had to deal with those things, then I'll deal with it then. We'll see what happens.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Job Hunting, Kid Mentality, and Feeling Blue
Okay, can't spend forever blogging - a lot of serious work to be done here.
The miscellany things first.
Using Firefox right now because Safari's in dire need of a software update. It's been freaking out with gmail, blogger, and oh, well, basically everything I use. They'd better do something about it or their going to lose me fast.
Today was a really nice day, in the fifties or something, and the sun was even out. Did I see any of it? No, I had a killer headache that floored me. It's either I didn't get enough sleep - which punishes me by giving me crippling headaches, or I'm sensitive to light, thanks to those nice phobophobic genes that I've inherited from my Mom.
Anyway, after lunch I slept for about four hours, and the rest of the day I'm just feeling a little zombified, looking like it too. I was snappy with the kids, which was a shame because last night we had such fun - it was like hanging out with two mates except I don't usually change my mate's diapers. Anymore.
Back on task.
Yesterday I submitted two applications for full time positions, one at a Apple Retail store as a Creative, and the other to an insurance company. Not selling it, but rather being a claims rep. There's an open job thing with the insurance company tomorrow, so I'll be going there as well. Dunno, a lot of really uninteresting and ill fitting entry level jobs out there. I can't help but feel like I've really screwed things up, venturing back into videography and overbooking my ass. Stress is definitely creeping into my head because the videos are piling up, the money is running low, and the medical bills are oddly adding up quickly. Our electric bill came and I shat blood when I saw it. $230 plus. Who does that? What the hell did we do in the house? I thought I turned off the frickin' time machine before we left for the day. Damn time/space power hog.
-----
The kids have been rather cute - it's always fun to listen to toddlers try to make sense of the world through their words. Often their logic is something so basic and refreshing that I envy them. Other times it makes no sense at all.
Our thing lately is identifying each other.
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Alex?
Zoe: Boy-ee!
Wife: (points at Alex.) What's Zoe?
Zoe: I Girl!
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Daddy?
Zoe: Daddy a Man!
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Mommy?
Zoe: Mommy a Lady!
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Ma Ma (Grandma in Cantonese)?
Zoe: Ma Ma Mango!
We don't know where she got that from, or what Grandma is that particular tropical fruit, but there you have it.
The other thing Zoe's been doing is strange introductions.
Alex sits up in the car seat.
Zoe: Oh hi there! What's your name?
Alex: I'm Alex.
They're practicing their social skills, but perhaps the best thing I've heard is them telling each other that "I loves you."
-----
So I got my driver's license renewed, and the damn DOT managed to squeeze 10 bucks for a "late penalty", because my license had expired for four months, and that somehow causes the state to lose money or something. It's just absurd. I haven't scanned my ID yet, but my new photo is atrocious. I'd like to deny that that's my face, but I know that bloated chipmunk who's got chestnuts stuffed in his cheeks staring back at me is indeed, me. It's like I'm doing a permanent Brando impression.
------
But that's it. I think I've got to send out form letters to my clients, informing them of new due dates. I'm screwed and I've gotta get my ass in gear.
The miscellany things first.
Using Firefox right now because Safari's in dire need of a software update. It's been freaking out with gmail, blogger, and oh, well, basically everything I use. They'd better do something about it or their going to lose me fast.
Today was a really nice day, in the fifties or something, and the sun was even out. Did I see any of it? No, I had a killer headache that floored me. It's either I didn't get enough sleep - which punishes me by giving me crippling headaches, or I'm sensitive to light, thanks to those nice phobophobic genes that I've inherited from my Mom.
Anyway, after lunch I slept for about four hours, and the rest of the day I'm just feeling a little zombified, looking like it too. I was snappy with the kids, which was a shame because last night we had such fun - it was like hanging out with two mates except I don't usually change my mate's diapers. Anymore.
Back on task.
Yesterday I submitted two applications for full time positions, one at a Apple Retail store as a Creative, and the other to an insurance company. Not selling it, but rather being a claims rep. There's an open job thing with the insurance company tomorrow, so I'll be going there as well. Dunno, a lot of really uninteresting and ill fitting entry level jobs out there. I can't help but feel like I've really screwed things up, venturing back into videography and overbooking my ass. Stress is definitely creeping into my head because the videos are piling up, the money is running low, and the medical bills are oddly adding up quickly. Our electric bill came and I shat blood when I saw it. $230 plus. Who does that? What the hell did we do in the house? I thought I turned off the frickin' time machine before we left for the day. Damn time/space power hog.
-----
The kids have been rather cute - it's always fun to listen to toddlers try to make sense of the world through their words. Often their logic is something so basic and refreshing that I envy them. Other times it makes no sense at all.
Our thing lately is identifying each other.
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Alex?
Zoe: Boy-ee!
Wife: (points at Alex.) What's Zoe?
Zoe: I Girl!
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Daddy?
Zoe: Daddy a Man!
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Mommy?
Zoe: Mommy a Lady!
Wife: (points at Zoe.) What's Ma Ma (Grandma in Cantonese)?
Zoe: Ma Ma Mango!
We don't know where she got that from, or what Grandma is that particular tropical fruit, but there you have it.
The other thing Zoe's been doing is strange introductions.
Alex sits up in the car seat.
Zoe: Oh hi there! What's your name?
Alex: I'm Alex.
They're practicing their social skills, but perhaps the best thing I've heard is them telling each other that "I loves you."
-----
So I got my driver's license renewed, and the damn DOT managed to squeeze 10 bucks for a "late penalty", because my license had expired for four months, and that somehow causes the state to lose money or something. It's just absurd. I haven't scanned my ID yet, but my new photo is atrocious. I'd like to deny that that's my face, but I know that bloated chipmunk who's got chestnuts stuffed in his cheeks staring back at me is indeed, me. It's like I'm doing a permanent Brando impression.
------
But that's it. I think I've got to send out form letters to my clients, informing them of new due dates. I'm screwed and I've gotta get my ass in gear.
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