Looking Around

31 07 2008

Last week I had an in-person interview with the company that reached out to me. On the one hand it went very well — they value my long experience in this industry, recognize the contribution that I can make, and from my perspective the company seems like a dream to work for.

On the other hand the position that I’d come in to interviewing for was not a good fit for my career path. I spent some time with the manager of another department better suited for me but I’m lacking experience in one particular area that is important to them. I’m not expecting any offers at this point but the recruiter is continuing to look for a position that is a good match.

I’m feeling ambivalent about the whole thing. The technology is a major turn-on — I’ve never been so excited in an interview before — but their location isn’t somewhere that I really want to live.

I also put my resume in the hands of another recruiter for a company in a better location — not a favorite, but some of my closest friends have settled there. Unfortunately we’ve had a number of scheduling problems and I strongly suspect that they don’t pay well.

At my own company there is a fresh opening that I’m thinking about. On paper I am qualified but it would be a major shift in direction and I’m not sure that I command enough respect within that department to be taken seriously as a candidate. Rejection could be very awkward.

My thinking at this point is to let these things play out but not expand the search any further. As unhappy as I am with the current situation, waiting a few months to get my shit in order seems like a pretty good idea.





Nine rides since my last crash

31 07 2008

My motorcycle’s MPG have fallen to 36-ish as I’ve become more comfortable riding with the flow of traffic on the highway. On average I’m still riding slower than in my car but I have taken a couple of opportunities to run ‘er up into the triple digits. Fast is fun.

Not so fun is dealing with summer weather. Twice I have narrowly avoided thunderstorms and it’s so damned hot that I’m starting to sympathize with the future organ donors I see riding with no protective gear.





Taking it back

18 07 2008

Senator Barack Obama’s patriotism has been scrutinized and questioned because of his refusal early on to wear an American flag pin on the grounds that, in the wake of 9/11, these pins had become substitutes for true patriotism.

Now, as the campaign heats up, the presumptive Democratic nominee is seldom seen at public events without “old glory” on his lapel (a smart rectangular version). For some, this gesture is a little too late; for others, it is pandering to the electorate.

Since Mr. Obama promotes himself as the candidate of change, maybe he should start wearing a different kind of lapel pin that signals his patriotism as well as other values he wants to communicate. To provide him with options, I asked some illustrators and designers to suggest alternatives.

link

My thought was that he should wear the Constitution instead. Seems to me like too many people that hold office or rank have forgotten what they swore their oath to.





Clairvoyance

18 07 2008

I’d barely begun to ponder what course of action to take with my job situation, hadn’t even started to update my CV, when a recruiter from my employer’s largest competitor reached out to me. Talked a pretty good game and set me up right away with a phone interview for a position with an upstart subsidiary that is working in an area of great interest to me.

The interview itself, not so interesting. Lots of trivia questions where the answer could be found in the excerpts from a Google search. And then they socked me with the classic “What do you like most / least about your job?” My boss likes to use that combo when we interview candidates and I shoot him the death eye every frickin’ time.

Whatever comes of it, at least I’ve got the first one out of the way.





Things you will never find me doing, Episode 357

18 07 2008

Reclining motorcyclist texting while driving on the highway.





Self Delete

17 07 2008

Today I told Google to de-index all of my web sites that have my name on them. It’s like Internet suicide. Didn’t even hurt…





Wanna go for a ride?

15 07 2008

On my very first motorcycle ride on public streets I crashed at around 35-40MPH. By the grace of God I escaped with no significant damage to myself — had I fallen in the other direction I would have left a lot of skin on the asphault and possibly broken some bones — but for months after the bike was little more than a lawn ornament as I pondered the risk to myself and the stupidity of an inexperienced rider buying a very heavy 1,298cc monster.

A few weeks ago I finally decided to man up, started scooting around the neighborhood after work and after a few uneventful rides I moved on to the busier main streets. Having cars all around me for the first time was pretty scary but I survived.

One morning last week I downed a double-shot of courage and set off on the 35+ mile ride to work. Turned out to be not such a big deal. Riding in I kept my speed to that of slower traffic, going home I stuck with the faster traffic and took a couple of opportunities to really open ‘er up.

The trip computer says I got 38MPG.

Now I’m really itching to go on some real rides. Unfortunately I’ll be flying the next two weekends so it will have to wait a while. Need some time to find cooler protective gear anyways. The stuff I’ve got is well ventilated but still ridiculously hot in the summer sun…








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