Lists

“What was your biggest challenge?”

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“What was your biggest challenge?”

Just now coming up on the one year mark of being unemployed, and having gone to about a dozen different interviews now, one of the most common questions I hear is “What was your biggest challenge?” or “Describe a time when you had a particularly difficult challenge and how you resolved it.”

In order as I think of them:

  • Apple and it’s lack of Enterprise support
  • Node locked software on a machine that just died, it out of warranty and the company refuses to return support phone calls or emails.
  • The user who doesn’t understand that going to certain web sites pretty much automatically means the machine is getting a virus.
  • Being asked to deploy non-existent machines to user who were hired only a few hours earlier and are scheduled to start the next day.
  • Explaining what “Corporate Standard Software” means, and why I can’t simply give you a license number so that you can install at home “to learn”
  • Complaints about machine slowness and weird problems to find that the uptime is 45 days.
  • User who upon being told “Those computers are too old, you will not be happy with them when I’m done,” buys new computers (from someone else,) the next day and then expects them to be installed for free after I’ve already done all the work.
  • Users who do not contact their IT support at all when there is a problem, then go home for the day because they “can not get any work done.”
  • Being expected to install a 15 computer network within 8 hours, never having done so ever before (it’s harder then it sounds)
  • Users who expect something done their way when it’s technically impossible.
  • The above, but when it’s illegal or unethical
  • Explaining to your direct supervisor why you REALLY don’t want to see the Midget Porn Website they found

    • Yeah. All of those.

    Funny WordPress spam comments

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    Funny WordPress spam comments

    The spam comments I get in WordPress are sometimes hilarious. Other times you’re just wondering what was going on. Here are some samples:

    I have little time.

    I offer to…

    I’d like a single to Paris, please.

    On the contrary.

    Exclusive delirium, in my opinion

    Would you like some coffee?

    Can you tell me the way to Oxford, please.

    I`d rather go to the cinema

    I’d like a packet of biscuits, please.

    I hope you enjoyed the party.

    Job Searching in Portland

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    Job Searching in Portland

    As I now find myself the latest victim of the poor economy, here is a list of job searches via Twitter that are specific to Portland Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general.

    There is the twitter user name first, then the RSS feed of that user.


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/76015772.rss

    http://twitter.com/ZuluJobsOR
    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/62178090.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/63858690.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/74228057.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/27772158.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/27772663.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/23449446.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/19788966.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/19790679.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/15455092.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/19789559.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/14523471.rss


    http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/19791664.rss

    http://www.tweetmyjobs.com/

    Willamette Week Back Cover

    Posted by Rick on in Lists, Misc 0 Comment

    Willamette Week’s Back Cover is a cross section of Portland at it’s best and worst.

    This weeks ads:

  • Missing a Limb? (Prosthetic Specialist visiting Portland)
  • Mac Repair (two ads, no PC repair ads)
  • Yoga (two ads)
  • Professional Dominatrix (two ads)
  • Credit Card Debt Reduction
  • Home buying classes
  • Medical Marijuana (three ads)
  • Open Adoption services
  • “Help getting Pregnant”
  • Hypnosis (two ads)
  • Models needed for Adult Website
  • Adult Website
  • Adult Photo taking workshop
  • Belly, Ballroom, and Bossanova Dance Lessons
  • Hair Stylist Classes
  • Tattoo and Piercing (two ads)
  • Wood Floor Refinishing
  • Video Duplication Services
  • Family, Divorce and Bankruptcy Lawyers
  • Nail fungus laser treatment
  • Guitar Lessons (two ads)
  • Wetsuits, Pizza Delivery, Kite powered carts, Antique Jewelry and Garden Center

    • Years from now anthropologists and sociologists will be able to pin point Portland easily. Kinky freaks who recorded themselves while giving guitar lessons on refinished wood floors that were also used for yoga and dancing while eating tatooed pizza, and working on a Mac.

    Things I’m going to have when I’m rich

    Posted by Rick on in Lists, Misc 0 Comment

    Things I’m going to have when I’m rich

    1.) Someone to shell peanuts for my consumption.

    2.) Someone to clean the bathroom after every use.

    3.) REALLY fast Internet. Not just “Wow, that’s fast!” but “Huh… you must have already had that page up.”

    4.) Rides on vintage airplanes

    5.) A factory to build good quality, Logo-less, black hooded, zippered front sweat shirts.

    6.) String of restaurants around town that all have reserved tables for myself.

    7.) Full scale replica of the U.S.S. Oregon which I will donate to the City of Portland (again) with the cavet that it may not be donated for the war effort.

    8.) Old limo like the one from Addams Family.

    9.) Pearl Handled six shooter that will be stolen by my Nemesis which I will then need to heroically get back after we battle to the death.

    10.) Physical Nemesis, not merely an ideology, but someone real.

    11.) A building at the Zoo, filled with live exhibits. The “Richard Hamell Sasquatch Natural Habitatorium and Interpretive Center” has a nice ring to it.

    12.) Good quality fedora and hiking boots

    13.) A giant Douglas Fir growing through the middle of my house.

    14.) Nice view from the bedroom of my house. Waking up to the Pacific Ocean, or Downtown Seattle would be cool

    15.) Luxury Dirigible for traveling around the world.

    16.) Autographed picture of Jamie Farr