Now I know what I want

I just don't know where to get it.

It's the case of figuring out the difference between my last job and my "current one" i.e. the one I'm leaving.

Recognition. In fact my two requirements for a job are variety and recognition.

That's probably why I like acting so much. Immediate feedback, and the job changes every play.

Now then, what technical jobs have that?

take care,
Will

tags : work job employment variety recognition

Bond Beauty

Over the weekend I saw Casino Royle and ate cake.

Sorry, self-medicating on mince pies and Christmas pudding is a good way to get out of a mild depression, and its easier to stop than with pints. (The recovery is a lot easier the next day too... eat fruit). It does however mean that it will take a long while to get a body as fit as Daniel Craig.

Anyway, my review of Bond.
It's broken the rules. There is no Moneypenny. There is no Q and there is no dramatic showdown in the villains lair, since the villain doesn't have a lair. And very few one-liners.
For the first time in years the open action sequence has a sense of danger rather than a sense of spectacular. The "how are they doing this without killing themselves?" came to mind while watching it.

In short it's the best Bond movie so far.

There are four detractions in the movie.

1) The title sequence. It's amazing, technicolour (the opening is a black and white flashback, and the scheme does reflect the 1967 version) and original... It's a Flash animation fight sequence...

That's right. No dancing naked girls to make Maurice Bender proud.

2) Lots of flesh, but no dancing naked girls. (I have got to see the results of that tag!) Instead we get long lingering shots of scantly (or undressed) Daniel Craig. It could have been worse. I mean I like Judi Dench but I suspect her bikini scene wouldn't make the final shot. However the Bond quicky divorce is back!

3) Felix Lighter shows up, but is an escapee from the 70's and underused (I know it's setup but...)

4) The opening theme. And infacta the music through the movie. Everyone seems to not like this years theme... Its hard to remember, until you think of the theme music to the Black Beauty (I hope this is the right one) TV series from the seventies. Sort of sounds similar right?

take care,
Will

tags : Casino Royle Daniel Craig Bond James Bond Moneypenny Flash animation dancing naked girls Maurice Bender Judi Dench Felix Lighter Black Beauty

Redundomoto

Shock: The uncontrollable urge to giggle while it feels like you're being kicked in the stomach and your heart wants get out of your chest and run out the door leaving your brain to deal with whats going on but it's not talking with the mouth.

Physical shock that is.

I only realised that was what happened when I got around to eating something. I was told that I was being made redundant.
I've worked in the company for 10 and a half years. The longest I've been unemployed is three weeks, and that was backpacking around Europe in 1999... I suspect I'm not the only one.

I was given the option of not spending the rest of the day in the office. I took it.

I'm glad that I had people over. Ended up spending the day at UCC with a gang getting ready for the Medieval and Renaissance Banquet. One thing about being a student is time. It may not get you ready for work in itself, but it allows you time to think. I needed to be with people with time. I haven't had time for a while... see the backpacking comment.

Friday I got the proper notice and I was at least coherent and (this got commented on) professional about it. It's sad but I can see their point. I don't agree with the decision, but I can see their point.

Now I have time to think again. And the question I have is "where do I want to go from here?". Do I stay in software? Do I look at consulting? Go back to school?

As the song goes, there are lots of opportunities. And I want to see what I want as opposed to I need right now.
I have a list of things to do in the short term, and a gig just before Christmas. So I'm busy.

just as well... I might have time to think.

Will

p.s.
The other Adam, you took the trouble to send the address for the CV, I'll send it your way.

tags : work job employment redundancy shock time

Overheard

The world is my ulcer
tags : overheard

Macroom Drift

Dear Mister Curran,

When you say the words "Boy Racers an image comes to mind (Sports Racers is an different image). Cars are customised to within an inch of their showroom model. Engines are loud despite their actual size. Music is loud and thumping with a baseball capped head nodding to the beat. And racers must race! There is just one problem with this image. It's usually two separate groups.

Actually, the music overlaps the two images but...

Imagine that you earn very little (it's not that hard to do). Imagine having an obsession which does not involve a bottle of butterscotch flavoured body rub and a person appearing in Heat magazine but in cars. All you money is pumped in to making your little 1000cc car look and sound like the sports car of your dreams (polished in butterscotch flavoured wax and shine perhaps?). Do you really think you're going to risk all that hard work for a thrill ride?

Sorry. The above describes the car modification tribe, frequently called "Boy Racers". These are not the speed merchants who help provide the mortality bump in insurance company death rates. The modification tribe are obvious, but usually the wrong targets of, oh say Dublin Mid West Fianna Fáil TD, John Curran who declared that "Boy Racers Cars should be crushed".

I do agree with part of what he said...
"The scourge of young drivers, mostly men, racing and playing chicken both on the motorways and in housing estates of Dublin is completely unacceptable. Each night cars are raced through built up areas putting the lives of the young drivers and any one who gets in their way at risk."
I agree that this is what is classified as "dangerous driving" in legal and practical terms. However I suspect that these cars are not the highly polished ones, but their slightly run down brethren of cheap(?) small cars driven by reckless drivers.

I'll ask if speed cameras set up in these areas would not be a better idea than ones set up on the open road... If nothing else you'll catch the plates of the doughnut drivers.

A bit late for Stop the Carnage Week but the comments are recent.
take care,
Will

tags : boy racer car custom car obsession car modification speed merchants mortality bump road safety roadsafetyblog Dublin Mid West Fianna Fáil TD, John Curran Dublin Mid West Fianna Fáil John Curran TD John Curran Boy Racers Cars should be crushed young drivers playing chicken chicken dangerous driving speed cameras doughnut Stop the Carnage

Its such a short gap between the gutter and stars

A (long?) while back I wrote half a song called "Let's all play the media game" (really must dump the lyrics here some day). It's more or less a story about the wannabe media culture (which I'll admit biting to). However Just Jack has done better with "Starz In Their Eyes" or rather "(Why you wanna go and put) Starz In Their Eyes".

You can guess what its about, but in sound its a little closer to Mike Skinner / The Streets. This single is due out on January 15 and the album "Overtones" around the end of January (standard starting time for new artists... so they don't get lost in the Christmas rush) but, well, he's been noticed big time as you can see from this performance on Later... with Jools Holland (YouTube embedded below).

I heard his other single, "Writers Block" a while back (vanished?)... he's good.
And I think it's release date hits the new version of "You're a Star".



tags : music media culture celebrity Just Jack Overtones Starz In Their Eyes Stars In Their Eyes Mike Skinner The Streets January January 2007 Later... with Jools Holland Jools Holland YouTube Writers Block You're a Star

Want a free copy of Vista?

It sounds a little like the one "TimeShare" scam, but if you attend the Dublin Tech Community Launch of Vista, Office and Exchange 2007 in Croke Park, Dublin today, you'll get a free (with free license) copy of Vista Home Edition along with other eval software. Use the above link to register.

tags : Dublin Vista Office 2007 Exchange 2007 Croke Park free Vista Home Edition register

Quotable Quotes

Dating is repetitive and stupid, and most women don’t find me nearly as amusing as I do. - Ryan Sohmer: Attracting the crazies since 1978.

Sometime I worry about people. Other times I wonder if it is even possible to have an enough rope shortage. Still the cartooning should keep him busy. Oh hang on... research for the cartoons...

tags : The Least I Could Do Ryan Sohmer dating overheard quote

Bear hug

Today is, apparently, Hug a Bear day.

Who creates these things? Don't they know how hard it is to move around eating berries while being hugged!

And for friends of mine not snickering at the thought of Hug a bear day. I don't think the creators of this "holiday" knew what a bear can be. Or was that the point?

hugs,
Will

tags : bear bears hug a bear day

An raibh Samhain maith agat?

Last night was Oíche Samhain. I know what some of you are thinking. Sahmain is the old name for Halloween (or Hallowe'en) and that was last week.

Actually, Sahmain is lunar based, a bit like Easter. And the full moon was last night.

It was also a suitable night. Driving on country roads with heavy fog and a full moon gives the scene a full Silent Hill perspective. I winder when "Silent Hill : The Driving game" is coming out; points for running over zombies, its Death Race 2000 in green!.

In fact the heavy fog covering most of the county is helping in the entire horror film view of things.

take care,
Will

tags : Samhain Oíche Samhain Halloween Hallowe'en lunar full moon fog Cork Silent Hill