barely fatal

Why looking for a job is like a box of chocolates? Because:

- you know you want one, badly
- you have no idea if you will like the filling
- you do not know if it’s the one gone sour
- you have no choice, either try one or eat toast for the rest of your life

There are many, many job offers. There are millions of people reading them (and answering them). You know that your chances are slim, no matter how good your profile is. And yet, you don’t want to sell yourself too cheap or to slavers.

It’s very possible you have to move. That’s not a bad thing per se, it becomes a bad thing after the third move in a year. It’s very possible you spend a lot of time, sweat and money on interviews that end negatively – of course each one eating a little bit away from your self-confidence. You write many, many applications – some never return.

I feel frustated. Not because I don’t get any positive answers, no, fortunatly I have a few good collegues and friends who do not only help me cope but who also actively support my attempts. No, it’s something different. You have to decide what you want to do and what not. That being not so overly complicated, it gets tricky when it comes to actual job offers. Lets say you have had more than one interview. And you don’t know yet, if one of the others might turn out well. Do you accept the first job offer you get? Does it matter what the job is? You need a job. Nowadays, can you dare to choose?

Yes. Can and must. It’s still killing me.

This site has an interesting theme: Find free books … and leave your own books for others to find and read. And then track who picked up your stuff! The idea has something fatalistic, you never know if someone will toss your precious book into the next trash can, and you never know if you’ll ever find something that is actually worth reading (or anything at all). Nonetheless, it’s intriguing. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for the hidden treasure … or junk … and think of something I could ‘post’ in return. Excited? Maybe I’m just childish, but then again: aren’t we all, and don’t we all need to be, sometimes?

BookCrossing – Hunt for Books

From Tad Williams, well-known for his other fantasy novels like Otherworld or The Dragonbone Chair comes a new trilogy, starting with Shadowmarch. 848 pages of classic fantasy goodness? Let us evaluate.

First, lets go through the checklist:

• Two vast continents with a lot of forests, mountains, kingdoms, history and people? – Check.
• Bunch of gods and goddesses whose names one can hardly pronounce? – Check.
• Creepy, mysterious, merciless, evil enemy? – Check.
• Decadent, deceitful, far-away-southern kingdom causing trouble? – Check.
• Good royal family holding it all together? – Check.
• Simple-life hero, loyal to the royal family? – Check.
• Happily-ever-after beginning and end-of-all-is-nigh end? – Check.

Extras: halfling race that lives underground, ‘fairy’ warrior queen, witches, mysterious creatures, bard/poet, doctor/wizard, …

Read the rest of this entry »

Slashdot | Duke Nukem Forever in Production

Yeeeah, yo momma it is. DNF isn’t Vaporware because:

- It was worth waiting 7 years for Daikatana
- Clinton did not have sex
- Iraq had WMD
- One Night In Paris accidently leaked on the ‘net
- It’s a good idea to let Uwe Boll make more games from movies
- Showgirls and Ghosts Of Mars did not totally suck
- Bielefeld really does exist
- 640k ought to be enough for everyone
- Britney has never been surgically enhanced
- Earth is flat

Add your own “because’s” in the comments!

SUPPLMENTAL: It’s back in the list! Winner of Vaporware 2005