Twelve posts this month. It is better than some of the other blogs I read, and I'm glad I've able to keep this thing going for the past six months. I know I should write every day, but I don't.
Been watching old movies in an attempt to re-start my exercise habits. The average old movie is just over an hour, and that is a perfect length of time for exercise. Also, older movies don't demand constant attention so you can let your mind wander while you ride the exercise bike. I've been watching Val Lewton films---really liked I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE and THE CAT PEOPLE, but gave up on CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE. Probably will check out some of the Universal Horror films over the next week, I've seen the "major" ones but haven't seen all the sequels. They were on our local TV station late night horror show when I was a kid, but the movie came on late Friday night and it was way too late for an elementary schooler to stay up. Didn't see most of them until I hit adulthood.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
A bet.
Dear Imaginary Reader,
I bet I don't get a job interview next month. Just a feeling. Things seem to already be slowing down, and I'm starting to have to apply to jobs where I know I don't meet the qualifications. Guess it's going to be an early winter. I suppose I will make a token attempt to re-apply to some of the firms I've applied to over the last year and a half. Not sure if I will, actually. I guess if there is absolutely nothing else to apply to.
As usual, my only real hope is with the Federal Agency Everyone Hates. I'm thinking my chances may be a little better since I'm applying outside my current city [Detroit of the West.] It turns out the Agency has a lot of facilities here and they have a lot of internal candidates so that may explain my lack of success.
Looking forward to not worrying about it this weekend. Another month down the drain.
I bet I don't get a job interview next month. Just a feeling. Things seem to already be slowing down, and I'm starting to have to apply to jobs where I know I don't meet the qualifications. Guess it's going to be an early winter. I suppose I will make a token attempt to re-apply to some of the firms I've applied to over the last year and a half. Not sure if I will, actually. I guess if there is absolutely nothing else to apply to.
As usual, my only real hope is with the Federal Agency Everyone Hates. I'm thinking my chances may be a little better since I'm applying outside my current city [Detroit of the West.] It turns out the Agency has a lot of facilities here and they have a lot of internal candidates so that may explain my lack of success.
Looking forward to not worrying about it this weekend. Another month down the drain.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A quick read....
Ended up checking out a book yesterday called THOSE WHO HIT THE HARDEST about the Pittsburgh Steelers/Dallas Cowboys rivalry during the 1970s. It's a mixed success, but hard to put down. The authors should probably admit a Burgh bias, it is about 80% about the Steelers. They attempt to tie in the rise and fall of the steelworkers union with the story of the Steelers, but it doesn't mesh and the labor stuff seems like something that was inserted from another book. Still an interesting story.
It is funny to think of how little the players made back then, the salaries changed during this period but even then superstar draft picks could only command a few hundred grand over the life of their contracts.
I am a sort-of football fan, the game makes for great storytelling and I love to read books about the various personalities. I seldom watch an entire game, and prefer college to pro football [another interesting tidbit---until the late Sixties, college football was overwhelmingly more popular than the pro game, the time period chronicled in this book was more or less the point where the tide turned] but even then I follow the game more as a story that unfolds each week--I'll watch the highlights on ESPN but generally only tune in for some of the bowl games in January. I have teams I dislike, and have a nominal allegiance to teams where I've attended school or from my home state, but in the end I'm more interested in the drama of it. For example, I am hoping the most popular team in my home state doesn't make it to the national championship game this year because they tend to get dominated in big bowl games [heh heh, any savvy college FB fans will probably have narrowed it down to two possible schools!] and I always want the best matchup possible.
Anyway, I ended up reading the whole book this morning. Not as good as the Bear Bryant bio I read last month, but worth a read mainly just for the story of the Steelers. Another great football book is WHEN PRIDE STILL MATTERED about Vince Lombardi, and my overall favorite which I mentioned several months back is A CIVIL WAR by John Feinstein, about the Army/Navy football rivalry.
It is funny to think of how little the players made back then, the salaries changed during this period but even then superstar draft picks could only command a few hundred grand over the life of their contracts.
I am a sort-of football fan, the game makes for great storytelling and I love to read books about the various personalities. I seldom watch an entire game, and prefer college to pro football [another interesting tidbit---until the late Sixties, college football was overwhelmingly more popular than the pro game, the time period chronicled in this book was more or less the point where the tide turned] but even then I follow the game more as a story that unfolds each week--I'll watch the highlights on ESPN but generally only tune in for some of the bowl games in January. I have teams I dislike, and have a nominal allegiance to teams where I've attended school or from my home state, but in the end I'm more interested in the drama of it. For example, I am hoping the most popular team in my home state doesn't make it to the national championship game this year because they tend to get dominated in big bowl games [heh heh, any savvy college FB fans will probably have narrowed it down to two possible schools!] and I always want the best matchup possible.
Anyway, I ended up reading the whole book this morning. Not as good as the Bear Bryant bio I read last month, but worth a read mainly just for the story of the Steelers. Another great football book is WHEN PRIDE STILL MATTERED about Vince Lombardi, and my overall favorite which I mentioned several months back is A CIVIL WAR by John Feinstein, about the Army/Navy football rivalry.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A change of plans...
I decided to go ahead and apply for the job posting that is way out of my area. If by some chance I do get the job I can decide what to do at that point, it would also be a good way to get away from this area, something which my wife and I really want to do.
So I do have two job opportunities pending. If I did need to choose between them I would probably choose the one out of the area...more pay and it's a chance to relocate.
It will be interesting...I've never applied to other offices in this state, only the one in my city and also one out of state. Maybe the odds will be better.
So I do have two job opportunities pending. If I did need to choose between them I would probably choose the one out of the area...more pay and it's a chance to relocate.
It will be interesting...I've never applied to other offices in this state, only the one in my city and also one out of state. Maybe the odds will be better.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Forgot to mention
Finished FREEDOM over the weekend. I liked it overall, not sure if it was good as THE CORRECTIONS but it was easier to get into. The two novels were similar in a lot of ways, they each had characters getting involved in shady schemes engineered by the wealthy.
I am reading a book of his essays called HOW TO BE ALONE and discovered he wrote a great article about my former employer the Federal Agency Known for Workplace Violence.
Finished the Harry Hole book last week, I wish more of the novels were available here in the US. I think some have been translated and published in the UK, it looks like I will actually have to spend money if I want to read any more beyond the three I have read. I'm checking out some other mysteries from that region.
Getting into Jonathan Ames. I think I should try to be a funny writer. Maybe that would be easier for me.
I am reading a book of his essays called HOW TO BE ALONE and discovered he wrote a great article about my former employer the Federal Agency Known for Workplace Violence.
Finished the Harry Hole book last week, I wish more of the novels were available here in the US. I think some have been translated and published in the UK, it looks like I will actually have to spend money if I want to read any more beyond the three I have read. I'm checking out some other mysteries from that region.
Getting into Jonathan Ames. I think I should try to be a funny writer. Maybe that would be easier for me.
Beyond pissed.
So I had heard it through the internet grapevine that the Federal Agency Everyone Hates was going to do another posting today for the job that I failed to get back in July. They hire twice a year, this posting would be for the Spring hire. The grapevine was correct, I checked this morning to find a new posting. As I read it, I noticed something was wrong.
My city was not listed on there. Neither was any city in a 200 mile radius of me. I have been applying to these things for over two years now, ever since I started at the Big Firm and figured out that I wasn't going to make it there. This has never happened before. The cities listed are all in a distant part of the state, or cities in other parts of the country. So I can forget all about that. There's supposed to be another posting for a different job in about a month, guess we'll see what happens with that. I will not have another shot at this particular job until April, and who knows, they may just do the same thing again. So much for all those agents they supposedly needed.
I am extremely disappointed right now. I know I'm in the running for another job with them, but I had hoped to have more than one iron in the fire. Oh well, at least I no longer have to be in a rush to get my CPA license reactivated.
In other news, I got turned down for the job I interviewed for earlier this month. I knew by now that I was no longer in consideration for it just due to the lack of response, but it's still never fun to learn for sure that yet again, I have been deemed not good enough.
My city was not listed on there. Neither was any city in a 200 mile radius of me. I have been applying to these things for over two years now, ever since I started at the Big Firm and figured out that I wasn't going to make it there. This has never happened before. The cities listed are all in a distant part of the state, or cities in other parts of the country. So I can forget all about that. There's supposed to be another posting for a different job in about a month, guess we'll see what happens with that. I will not have another shot at this particular job until April, and who knows, they may just do the same thing again. So much for all those agents they supposedly needed.
I am extremely disappointed right now. I know I'm in the running for another job with them, but I had hoped to have more than one iron in the fire. Oh well, at least I no longer have to be in a rush to get my CPA license reactivated.
In other news, I got turned down for the job I interviewed for earlier this month. I knew by now that I was no longer in consideration for it just due to the lack of response, but it's still never fun to learn for sure that yet again, I have been deemed not good enough.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A dry spell
I'm having a lot of trouble putting together enough things to apply to for this two week period. The job vacancies just don't seem to be there, but I will persevere.
Going to have to re-apply to some things that were reposted. Obviously I am not what they're looking for [even though I really would be a fit for some of them even according to their criteria] but at least it's something to put on the UE form.
I completed an assessment today for yet another job with the Federal Agency Everyone Hates. This job is a particularly unpopular one, which is saying something. Still has very tight competition. I don't particularly care one way or another about it, but it starts in January, and that is around the time that my unemployment will probably be ending for good.
I'm a little over a hundred pages into FREEDOM. Pretty good, actually easier for me to get into than THE CORRECTIONS, probably because it is from a single point of view and so there aren't a bunch of shifting narratives which can sometimes suck the energy out of a book.
Going to have to re-apply to some things that were reposted. Obviously I am not what they're looking for [even though I really would be a fit for some of them even according to their criteria] but at least it's something to put on the UE form.
I completed an assessment today for yet another job with the Federal Agency Everyone Hates. This job is a particularly unpopular one, which is saying something. Still has very tight competition. I don't particularly care one way or another about it, but it starts in January, and that is around the time that my unemployment will probably be ending for good.
I'm a little over a hundred pages into FREEDOM. Pretty good, actually easier for me to get into than THE CORRECTIONS, probably because it is from a single point of view and so there aren't a bunch of shifting narratives which can sometimes suck the energy out of a book.
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