Hi all,
Welcome to 'proper admin', my monthly recap post for everything and anything worth sharing that did not make it into a blog.
Thanks for reading this past month. See you all again next Tuesday.
Tim
Blog Admin- August 2016
No admin this month. Some changes to the layout of this monthly post are below- otherwise, business as usual around these parts...
Welcome to 'proper admin', my monthly recap post for everything and anything worth sharing that did not make it into a blog.
Thanks for reading this past month. See you all again next Tuesday.
Tim
Blog Admin- August 2016
No admin this month. Some changes to the layout of this monthly post are below- otherwise, business as usual around these parts...
Commentary on July 2016 blog posts...
*Birthdays (7/4)
I hinted here that I tend to get annoyed with job interview questions that have nothing to do with the job. These questions are almost always hypothetical (anyone can say they'll do anything).
Still, sometimes it is better to get the job first before you try and change the interview questions. Here are a couple of answers I prepared for the scariest possible hypothetical job interview questions:
Q: If you were an animal, what would you be?
A: A spider, maybe. I'm patient and I like to fix things. I'm comfortable in many environments and I'll eat just about anything that lands in front of me, birthday cakes included. The ways I am connected to things are sometimes obvious and at other times barely visible. I get so much done, its like I have eight arms.
Q: What is your biggest weakness? (1)
A: I don't have the confidence required to tell you that this is a stupid question.
Q: What crayon color best describes you?
A: Probably Robin's Egg Blue. I am close enough to my pure blue to function competently in eight or even sixteen employee companies but prefer the slight specialization allowed in groups of around sixty-four. I'm similar enough to others to fit comfortably within a well-understood concept of 'blue' yet different enough to be a little more memorable than the other blues (like that pesky 'light blue').
Black might work, too. I'm versatile enough to do almost anything and, technically speaking, black is all colors at once. Or is that white (*)?
*Birthdays (7/4)
I hinted here that I tend to get annoyed with job interview questions that have nothing to do with the job. These questions are almost always hypothetical (anyone can say they'll do anything).
Still, sometimes it is better to get the job first before you try and change the interview questions. Here are a couple of answers I prepared for the scariest possible hypothetical job interview questions:
Q: If you were an animal, what would you be?
A: A spider, maybe. I'm patient and I like to fix things. I'm comfortable in many environments and I'll eat just about anything that lands in front of me, birthday cakes included. The ways I am connected to things are sometimes obvious and at other times barely visible. I get so much done, its like I have eight arms.
Q: What is your biggest weakness? (1)
A: I don't have the confidence required to tell you that this is a stupid question.
Q: What crayon color best describes you?
A: Probably Robin's Egg Blue. I am close enough to my pure blue to function competently in eight or even sixteen employee companies but prefer the slight specialization allowed in groups of around sixty-four. I'm similar enough to others to fit comfortably within a well-understood concept of 'blue' yet different enough to be a little more memorable than the other blues (like that pesky 'light blue').
Black might work, too. I'm versatile enough to do almost anything and, technically speaking, black is all colors at once. Or is that white (*)?
Q: On a scale of one to ten...(the rest of the question is generally irrelevant so at this point stop listening and start nodding your head slowly as if you are entering deep thought)?*What I found interesting as I looked up that fact- is it black or white that is all colors at once- is that, technically speaking (or at least, from the point of view of pure physics), it seems that black and white are not considered colors at all.
A: A sideways eight, I think. I'm not quite up to the expert level of a '10' but am very competent in this area. Sometimes, I apply my skills at a different angle and accomplish something with my '8' that hints at infinite possibilities.
*Proper Admin, July (7/8)
*What I Learned This Year (7/12)
Technically, the first thing I learned was not to piss on the doctor who delivers you. This is more or less a useless thing to know (unless you happen to be named Benjamin Button).
This was the easiest post I've ever written. I sat down early one Saturday evening in June with a notebook and did the first draft in list form. When I finally looked up, it was nearly 11pm!
Editing was almost as easy- just a matter of confirming if I actually did learn it this year or not (*).
Technically, the first thing I learned was not to piss on the doctor who delivers you. This is more or less a useless thing to know (unless you happen to be named Benjamin Button).
This was the easiest post I've ever written. I sat down early one Saturday evening in June with a notebook and did the first draft in list form. When I finally looked up, it was nearly 11pm!
Editing was almost as easy- just a matter of confirming if I actually did learn it this year or not (*).
*My favorite line that I cut from the final was 'I learned that you are never too old to start anything. But you can definitely be too late.' I probably learned that the first time I missed the bus back in 2011 so the thought was disqualified from the post.
*A fake post (7/15)
*A preview post (7/16)
*A preview post (7/16)
*Proper Admin July, Books (7/19)
My favorite all time comic strip is The Far Side, by Gary Larson. Charles Schulz's Peanuts, the comic strip profiled in Only What's Necessary, is similar enough to remind me of Larson's strip. One thing shared by these cartoonists was how their strip was a story about their own lives.
I think this is why I found the written parts of the book less interesting than just looking at the pictures- the pictures themselves are the life story, just told in out of order pieces that eventually aggregate over the course of several decades into a complete work.
Also, remember how in this post I talked about accidentally picking a 3.2 rated book on Goodreads and confirmed that my filtering system was working perfectly well as a result? Well, I went to the Allagash Brewery in Portland (ME) this month and it came up that one way they test the robustness of their quality control measures is to deliberately put rubbish into the system to ensure that the system is working as designed. I can certainly relate...
*My Feet Are Too Big (7/22)
There was a potential here for some clever sole-stretching/soul-expanding wordplay but I decided to drop it. The idea that your sole can only operate in the space you give it is physically obvious to anyone who has worn a too-small shoe. And I think the same can be said to the idea that your soul can be smothered and restricted by your own boundaries- it is obvious to anyone whose routines or commitments have pushed aside some of the things true to their natures.
*Take Care Of Yourself, Too (7/26)
I'm still getting the hang of these 'short posts'. I was not an early adopter of Twitter, let's put it that way.
*Lost In Translation Final (7/29)
So, what next? I guess I can just go to Ella Frances Sanders's website every week or so to check and see if anything- anything- resembling a sequel is being published...
I originally thought I would say more here but I am going to do a proper follow up post sometime in August. Stay tuned.
Podcast Power Rankings
August (July ranking)
1. The Football Ramble (1)
My favorite all time comic strip is The Far Side, by Gary Larson. Charles Schulz's Peanuts, the comic strip profiled in Only What's Necessary, is similar enough to remind me of Larson's strip. One thing shared by these cartoonists was how their strip was a story about their own lives.
I think this is why I found the written parts of the book less interesting than just looking at the pictures- the pictures themselves are the life story, just told in out of order pieces that eventually aggregate over the course of several decades into a complete work.
Also, remember how in this post I talked about accidentally picking a 3.2 rated book on Goodreads and confirmed that my filtering system was working perfectly well as a result? Well, I went to the Allagash Brewery in Portland (ME) this month and it came up that one way they test the robustness of their quality control measures is to deliberately put rubbish into the system to ensure that the system is working as designed. I can certainly relate...
*My Feet Are Too Big (7/22)
There was a potential here for some clever sole-stretching/soul-expanding wordplay but I decided to drop it. The idea that your sole can only operate in the space you give it is physically obvious to anyone who has worn a too-small shoe. And I think the same can be said to the idea that your soul can be smothered and restricted by your own boundaries- it is obvious to anyone whose routines or commitments have pushed aside some of the things true to their natures.
*Take Care Of Yourself, Too (7/26)
I'm still getting the hang of these 'short posts'. I was not an early adopter of Twitter, let's put it that way.
*Lost In Translation Final (7/29)
So, what next? I guess I can just go to Ella Frances Sanders's website every week or so to check and see if anything- anything- resembling a sequel is being published...
I originally thought I would say more here but I am going to do a proper follow up post sometime in August. Stay tuned.
Podcast Power Rankings
August (July ranking)
1. The Football Ramble (1)
2. Common Sense with Dan Carlin (2)
3. More Or Less:
Behind the Stats (3)
4. The Bill Simmons Podcast (4)
5. Men In Blazers (5)
6.
The Memory Palace (6)
7. Dear Sugar Radio (8)
8. EconTalk (7)
9. The Moth (9)
10.
Reply All (10)
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
*Hardcore History
This month's podcast recommendation is a sarcastic, over-the-top twenty minutes from the Bill Simmons Podcast. He invites his friend Jack-O on the show to discuss the rolling dumpster fire that day one of the Republican National Convention turned out to be. His comment about Trump running a casino resonated with me- see below.
There will be a separate podcast-focused post coming up sometime in August. Once again, stay tuned.
Reading from July 2016
Sorry folks- once more, cutting these out for its own Proper Admin post.
What's on the shelf for August?
I don't think this is worth continuing as a proper admin section...
Tentative August blog schedule
Or this one. Brevity here will be achieved by cutting out anything I cannot reflect on.
Did I leave the apartment at all?
I actually left the state- three times! In fact, I have not left the state much at all in the past couple of years. Given that I used to do so about once every month and a half, this past month was a welcome return to old habits.
I'll cover my time in Connecticut- paintballing and Foxwoods- below. The Portland and Washington trips I made will have to wait for part two- this post is simply going too long.
But first, let's start closer to home. I went to a Red Sox game. This tends to happen once a year or so but I was unsure about this year given that in the past my appearances at Fenway were generally initiated through work.
The seats for this game were excellent. Early on, a foul ball was hit way over our heads. Like any great Fenway left fielder playing a pop up off the Green Monster, I knew the ball would hit high up in the stands and return to me. Sure enough, when I turned around to squint into the sun, the ball had bounced off the upper deck and was fast approaching.
I reached up and...whiff...the ball went right past my hand. It struck my friend's father, right between his seat and his seat. Whoops (*).
This month's podcast recommendation is a sarcastic, over-the-top twenty minutes from the Bill Simmons Podcast. He invites his friend Jack-O on the show to discuss the rolling dumpster fire that day one of the Republican National Convention turned out to be. His comment about Trump running a casino resonated with me- see below.
There will be a separate podcast-focused post coming up sometime in August. Once again, stay tuned.
Reading from July 2016
Sorry folks- once more, cutting these out for its own Proper Admin post.
What's on the shelf for August?
I don't think this is worth continuing as a proper admin section...
Tentative August blog schedule
Or this one. Brevity here will be achieved by cutting out anything I cannot reflect on.
Did I leave the apartment at all?
I actually left the state- three times! In fact, I have not left the state much at all in the past couple of years. Given that I used to do so about once every month and a half, this past month was a welcome return to old habits.
I'll cover my time in Connecticut- paintballing and Foxwoods- below. The Portland and Washington trips I made will have to wait for part two- this post is simply going too long.
But first, let's start closer to home. I went to a Red Sox game. This tends to happen once a year or so but I was unsure about this year given that in the past my appearances at Fenway were generally initiated through work.
The seats for this game were excellent. Early on, a foul ball was hit way over our heads. Like any great Fenway left fielder playing a pop up off the Green Monster, I knew the ball would hit high up in the stands and return to me. Sure enough, when I turned around to squint into the sun, the ball had bounced off the upper deck and was fast approaching.
I reached up and...whiff...the ball went right past my hand. It struck my friend's father, right between his seat and his seat. Whoops (*).
*On a related note, I used to be a very good center fielder.
And on the topic of being pelted by little balls, I managed to go paintballing
for the first time. I cannot say I would have had the idea myself but I was
intrigued to learn a little more about a game that, quite frankly, I used to
think would become more popular today than it actually is (given the popularity
certain types of movies, first person shooter video games, lacrosse, etc).
Well, I think I know what the issue is now. I learned that shooting someone does not necessarily lead to the paint ball breaking. This is a slight problem, I think, in a game where getting shot once generally means you have to come out- provided there is a visible splattering of paint on your person.
What is the solution to this problem in 2016? You can buy a gun that shoots fifteen paintballs per second! I cannot think of a less pointless application of technology than that which resulted in the gun that shoots not one, two, or fourteen paintballs per second- but the one that shoots fifteen paintballs per second. Fifteen paintballs per second!
And on the topic of first-time trips, I also made it to Foxwoods. First time in a casino. And let me tell you- I could not design a sadder place.
Speaking of casinos- I'm confused as to how anyone could bankrupt one. I imagine the year end financial reports simply involve taking a photo of the odds printed on the felt of the game tables (with perhaps someone scribbling the amount wagered in marker on the side). The percentage of money wagered that goes to the casino is literally printed on the table you play at (*). So how does this go bankrupt?
Well, I think I know what the issue is now. I learned that shooting someone does not necessarily lead to the paint ball breaking. This is a slight problem, I think, in a game where getting shot once generally means you have to come out- provided there is a visible splattering of paint on your person.
What is the solution to this problem in 2016? You can buy a gun that shoots fifteen paintballs per second! I cannot think of a less pointless application of technology than that which resulted in the gun that shoots not one, two, or fourteen paintballs per second- but the one that shoots fifteen paintballs per second. Fifteen paintballs per second!
And on the topic of first-time trips, I also made it to Foxwoods. First time in a casino. And let me tell you- I could not design a sadder place.
Speaking of casinos- I'm confused as to how anyone could bankrupt one. I imagine the year end financial reports simply involve taking a photo of the odds printed on the felt of the game tables (with perhaps someone scribbling the amount wagered in marker on the side). The percentage of money wagered that goes to the casino is literally printed on the table you play at (*). So how does this go bankrupt?
*I'm having a lot of fun with italics this month.
If there is a trump card to play in these places that shift the odds, I am unaware
of it.
I dropped into Porter Square Books to hear Jilly Gagnon read from her Choose Your Own Misery: The Office (co-authored with Mike MacDonald). I read a lot of the books in the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' series that this semi-parody was based on and therefore arrived intrigued. If I enjoyed the reading, my intent was to follow up by reading the book (*).
I dropped into Porter Square Books to hear Jilly Gagnon read from her Choose Your Own Misery: The Office (co-authored with Mike MacDonald). I read a lot of the books in the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' series that this semi-parody was based on and therefore arrived intrigued. If I enjoyed the reading, my intent was to follow up by reading the book (*).
*If you care about my thoughts on the reading, go to footnote 2. If not, continue reading.
One thing I do not recall happening in those books was a server dropping a tray
loaded with food. I suppose this is because it is literally impossible (or at
least I concluded as such based on not witnessing this event, ever, in nearly
three decades despite spending a preposterous amount of time watching bowls and
plates clatter unconvincingly atop a palm extended high overhead).
So, I suppose this is the time to mention I finally saw this happen at the Regatta Bar during a free ('FREE') concert. Let's blame the heat, shall we?
I liked shows from luhx and MIXCLA, both at the Boston Public Library (and thus also free- 'FREE'). The highlight from these shows was a whistling solo at the end of the MIXCLA setlist. I'm a fairly decent amateur whistler myself so I considered this a terrific development (*).
So, I suppose this is the time to mention I finally saw this happen at the Regatta Bar during a free ('FREE') concert. Let's blame the heat, shall we?
I liked shows from luhx and MIXCLA, both at the Boston Public Library (and thus also free- 'FREE'). The highlight from these shows was a whistling solo at the end of the MIXCLA setlist. I'm a fairly decent amateur whistler myself so I considered this a terrific development (*).
*My thoughts on the shows? Like with many of the books I read, I think these bands will be enjoyed by those who already like their kind of music.
Anything else?
This past Tuesday, I completed my first post for my new blog, The Business Bro. It will be different from True On Average in two ways.
This past Tuesday, I completed my first post for my new blog, The Business Bro. It will be different from True On Average in two ways.
First, each post will fall somewhere between four and six hundred words. Second, it will relate to a business management concept (perhaps even directly). We'll see where it goes from there.
Here is the link to that first post for those interested.
That's about enough for one post. I'll be back next week (at some point) with a part two.
Thanks again for reading.
Tim
Footnotes!
1. My biggest weakness?
1. My biggest weakness?
I actually do have a stock answer for this one because
it does come up often enough. I usually just say 'I'm not very good at selling
myself'. I suppose this might not work to my advantage if someone over thinks
it. But it does have the advantage of being true and is unlikely to change anytime soon (you could say the trumpet is
way down towards the bottom on the list of instruments I want to learn how to
play).
2. So, did I choose to read this book after the reading?
No.
She raised a very good point about the original series- a lot of the choices lead to your death. Quite an observation considering that these books were aimed at kids! I guess at that time I supposed it made sense that going on some wild spy mission/space exploration/treasure hunt would lead to a near-certain likelihood of death. Or maybe everything just seems natural as a kid and you discover as an adult that your experience was very much not like the experience of anyone else.
Here is a link to a Tumblr blog that has helpfully categorized many of the ways your character met its demise in this series.
She raised a very good point about the original series- a lot of the choices lead to your death. Quite an observation considering that these books were aimed at kids! I guess at that time I supposed it made sense that going on some wild spy mission/space exploration/treasure hunt would lead to a near-certain likelihood of death. Or maybe everything just seems natural as a kid and you discover as an adult that your experience was very much not like the experience of anyone else.
Here is a link to a Tumblr blog that has helpfully categorized many of the ways your character met its demise in this series.
