once a desk jockey, never a wilson*
mind over money
so much for the "invincible old computer", as it was called a few entries back... it held up far better than expected, outlasting that absolutely fabulous dell laptop. the only good thing about dell is the turnaround time -- after sending the computer to them for repair, it was fixed and back in my hands in four days. the downside is that the end user can't touch the insides of the laptop without voiding the warranty, and how much fun is that?
toughbooks are definitely high on my "good hardware" list. the next one will definitely have to support linux. unless i decide to buy a tablet pc... and then the price tag brings reality crashing back in. so i reckon that all these techie dreams will have to wait until i manage to smile-and-hello my way into a new job somewhere.
having harvested the hard drive, screen [14.1"] and modem, all i need is a motherboard and processor for them to talk to. there are a couple of too-good-to-be-true deals on parts floating around the internet here and there. it's a bit uncomfortable to buy from an auction without a refund guarantee, though [in case the seller ships junk merchandise], so it may be a while before this computer gets rebuilt.
it's weird though; even without a computer, i still keep some technological ideas in mind. cyberpunk novels never interested me in the past, but now i find myself reading 0wnz0red, while juggling count zero and the diamond age... count zero was a quick read, but the diamond age is seriously dense, what with all of its nanotech fantasies. the free time brought about by a sudden lack of Internet practically begs the reading of unix bibles and other utterly dry and boring texts.
there was a job interview earlier today; i've refined my knack for missing trains and getting lost such that i can plan for it now [sometimes] ;) in this case the trick was believing that the interview was a half-hour earlier than it actually was, so upon arrival half an hour late, it pleasantly surprising to actually be on time. more proof that there are positive side effects to mild psychosis... lol
» key phrases to tickle the boss and pad the resume
"cost optimization", "Internet research", "corporate intranet strategy", "design and implementation"
the interviewer was running late, but he eventually emerged from a meeting. peeking out of a doorway at the end of the hall, he beckoned, and i strode calmly down beggar's row -- that long fateful walk where composure is either lost or forgotten. after what feels like hundreds of past job interviews, composure and nervousness have been transformed; instead, the interview is an opportunity to smile, nod and embellish my resume in person. no question can cause embarrassment or hesitation. if one key phrase fails to press the interviewer's 'meaningless yet impressive jargon' buttons, the flow continues straight to the next one.
honestly, though, interviewing has a lot less edge if approached this way:
i've already got the job.
if i ever catch the "gotta get this job" willies, i just consider myself hired already. the only purpose of the interview is for them to confirm the hire; in the process my nose becomes a somewhat darker shade of golden brown... er, um... i mean, take a look at the office, talk to the people, and see if i actually want to work there.
» euphemisms: the interviewer really means "you are now entering hellfire and damnation"
"this an intense and fast-paced environment" and "the president has a strong sense of the direction that he wants to take the company, and we all stand behind him one hundred percent"
sitting in the small office and listening to the bespectacled dilbert mumbling euphemisms for "the president is an arsehole", it became clear that this man has his toes to the fire every day. and all of the misgivings about the grey corporate lifestyle that i had lived not so long ago projected themselves from behind my eyes onto the walls of that small office. during appropriate pauses in conversation, i smiled and nodded and regaled the interviewer with stories of my heroic past as an expert in documentation and office management. near the end of the interview, he murmured that he would be "making a decision today" and asked if he could contact me by the number on my resume. the only acceptable response was, of course: sure, feel free to call my mobile, the number's there... and while waiting for the seventeen floors between myself and the lobby to pass in the cramped elevator, i made sure that the phone was turned off for the rest of the day. now the sun has long since traded places with the moon, i have two messages on my cell, and probably a job offer.
i may eventually cozy up to the brimstone, but they're going to have to meet my price. hopefully looking elsewhere will provide less soul-flaying opportunities, but in the meantime, the blog will prolly be a little quieter than usual.