Archive for September, 2007

62% More Awesome

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

If you don’t read Sheldon, why? Maybe you haven’t heard of it. That’s fine, I hadn’t before last year. But if you have and don’t, why? How can you not love the characters? The geek humour?

Sheldon

“62% More Awesome” is the recently released third volume of comics. Last week I was lucky enough to take delivery of my third successive personalised copy. I got my first when I met creator Dave Kellett at the 2006 Comic Con convention in San Diego at the Blank Label booth. After that I have been reading the daily strip, well, daily and snapping up the books on release with the ferver of most dedicated Bill Watterson fan.

The new book compiles most of last years strips, including the first Saturday Only storyline featuring Flaco’s adventures in space, as well as the Coffee Cup Lid Challenge – a week string strip of comics based around that most mundane of items. I can only hope that Dave takes up something similar again before the next book, those strips were easily amongst the most creative.

Buy the book. Read the comic. End of.

Posted in opinion | No Comments »

What a few weeks…

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

How quickly things can change.

Since I last wrote, I have gotten a job and moved home. It was all a bit of a whirlwind, really.

Shortly after I submitted my last piece, I got a call from a college friend telling me that he would like to refer me for a job. He had gone for an interview for first level support for a technology company a couple of weeks before and just been offered a place, but since he had already accepted a position in another organisation, he would have to decline. Asking me if I would like to take a chance at the place (offers to me had been few and far between), I accepted and an email was sent to the relevant HR people.

The following Monday I got the call. One quick telephone interview later, I was asked to travel to the company in Cork City. Two more interviews (HR and line managers) and an offer is made.

“The next training session starts next Thursday, do you think you can make it?” her in HR says to me.
“As in day after tomorrow Thursday?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.”

Cue a phone call home to let them know whats going on, and by the time I have gotten off the bus back in Killarney the Cork local papers have been scavenged for “To Let” notices and notes made in blue ballpoint beside the promising looking ones. Calls were made, and reasonably priced accommodation was sourced in a pretty nice part of the city. Not bad for a few hours work.

So Wednesday is spent packing, moving and unpacking, before an early night for an early start the Thursday morning to partake in that great little tradition that it seems all American companies now ask you to enjoy – the medical.

Its not development, but its a step in the door. And its a good company to have on the CV at any rate. I’m not naming names as of yet just in case things don’t really work out, though I might revise that in time.

Also, now that I work for this company I have to legally throw aside one of my planned projects, as this probably would have found me in competition with them. Had it been successful, that is. Well, back to the drawing board…

Posted in Personal | 1 Comment »