www.timnewman.org.uk/index.htmlBrain spillenTim NewmanCopyright 2009 Tim Newman2009-06-11T19:34:49+01:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:32:48 +0100Tim NewmanWork2009-06-11T19:34:49+01:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/d5ecb5477d5ab10b47fb94ba73801e51-9.php#unique-entry-id-9www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/d5ecb5477d5ab10b47fb94ba73801e51-9.php#unique-entry-id-9
I'll update the world on my current projects in more detail at a slightly later date. At the moment I'm throwing myself into my job.

My current projects are:
Negotiation skills training course
Excel 2007 for admin staff (a training course)
Working out a path for my carer now I kind of have one. I'm thinking ATT or CIPD. Or both thinking long term. Or not. Who knows? Not me, I need to make this job stick for now.

Tx]]>Tim NewmanWork2009-05-05T19:06:30+01:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/6e77e35b7bf24bcc2682188e2fe91d69-8.php#unique-entry-id-8www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/6e77e35b7bf24bcc2682188e2fe91d69-8.php#unique-entry-id-8
So I'm looking for a Job, I'm not looking for a graduate position, I'm not looking for an especially well paid job, I'm not looking for a fast track to promotion. I'm looking for stability. I've had a lot of jobs in the last few years while I tried to find a job I liked, the main problem I face is that I did, but only realised after I had quit. I really enjoyed working in the Maths department, I enjoyed the work, I enjoyed admin.

Now, I recognise that I'm probably a bit overqualified for the positions I'm going for, but I'm not the kind of person who carps on about boring work if I get it. Try marking year 8 homework if you want boring. I'm also not an uber-ambitious fool, I'd be lying if I said I wanted to work at the bottom rung my whole life but I'm tired of hopping from job to job. If I spend a while doing a job at the bottom, I'll get to know the organisation better so that when I do get promoted I have a better idea of what the people working for me have to do.

Take the MoD for instance: I know very little about the day to day running of the MoD. I'd be very happy to go in at E1 (I have some specific ones on top of the general app on the way), the grade I've applied for, because I want to get to know the organisation and there will be a lot to learn. I want to get in and get on with it. That same goes for Bristol city council (two apps coming up). I know Bristol Uni a bit better but the departments there are anything but homogenous, I'm waiting to hear about one from there as we speak.

All I have to do is hope that my applications conveys that and people don't make assumptions. Chemistry assumed that I was over qualified so they took me on a trial, kept me for two months and said they want me back when Sarah goes on maternity leave if I'm still looking. So the central question is this how do I prove that I won't be insufferable in-spite of my degree.

Tim

p.s. amusing side note - I set my status on Facebook as "Tim is Squamous". Turns out that most people haven't read any Lovecraft so hit Google. Which says skin cancer. I think that is a really interesting failure in the communications cycle. Well after I had calmed all my friends down. I'll see if I can work it into the effective communications skills course. I figured that since I'm unemployed I might as well keep my mind sharp so I'm helping rewrite effective communications and negotiations skills again, I've done a incremental job before but sometimes a complete rewrite is in order.]]>Tim NewmanDoing2009-05-05T17:49:32+01:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/eced246f356f614c0047a62cfab97724-7.php#unique-entry-id-7www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/eced246f356f614c0047a62cfab97724-7.php#unique-entry-id-7
Pros:
Well it's quick, very quick. There is virtually no lag when using the various functions and they have all the features you need, I've managed to write a job application on it in the library and the battries have stood up pretty well. Having found some comercial software that has been released into the wild, it's pretty easy to convert the files for use on my main machine (including converting the graphics to jpgs, neat). It comes with all the office software I really need on the move (Word Clone, Excel clone, Outlook clone). It is very light. If my batteries run out i can buy some more in just about every shop in the world.

Cons:
The keyboard is a little small, I had to recheck everthing carefully to make sure there were no spelling mistakes. The batteries are not rechargable in the case, and buying batteries is expensive. I had to hunt down a converter for the files, it's a small thing but I suspect it would be beyond a lot of people. The screen is only four colours and the backlight is a killer on the batteries. It doesn't have some of the software I would like no relational database, no presentation software and no sensible way of getting web access (modem via irda, fun!).

In short it doesn't have any real short commings that I can't get around or over. When I bought it, if I'm honest, it was a toy; becuase thats what 18 year old geeks do. Now I've grown up it has become a tool I can actually use. And that I suppose is the really impressive thing, I bought this a decade ago, a long time in technology and I've judged it by the standards of today - its held up pretty well.


Tim.

1. On the subject of the standards of the day, its the same reason I don't like racist comedies from the 70s; The excuse "it was acceptable at the time" doesn't wash, Vlad the Impaler thought what he did was acceptable. ]]>Tim NewmanThinks2009-04-11T17:04:11+01:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/5a3823df12014e2db307aa7c0cdf2966-5.php#unique-entry-id-5www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/5a3823df12014e2db307aa7c0cdf2966-5.php#unique-entry-id-5
I managed 28 hours the first time, thought I'd got away with it. Nope, half assed doesn't work with food poisoning.

How do the do it? It is just down right unpleasant...

tx]]>Tim NewmanThinks2009-03-31T22:34:46+01:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/119594a5d63e551fca2c62816763f401-4.php#unique-entry-id-4www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/119594a5d63e551fca2c62816763f401-4.php#unique-entry-id-4
I large part of it is down to what we are trying to do in improv at the moment, and the switch of our focus into story telling and long form. It occurred to me that I had never tried to tell a story. I approached it from a fairly improvised standpoint, thinking of a first line and a style, and taking it form there. I would be lying if I said I didn't find it a challenge, there are so many things to think about and I found myself wanting to go back and edit what I had done. This is probably down to the fact that normally this option isn't open to me when I'm telling stories up on stage. It has certainly made me think about a number of things which I need to work on.

1. I found that I wrote about the relationships and environment that my characters had, but beyond that we knew far to little of the character to care about them.
2. I lack the confidence to build the scene, this is a hangover from too much short-form, the pace was far higher than the average Lovecraft stories and suffers for it.
3. I need to finish the story before I edit it, forcing myself to just write certainly helped.

On a much more me note (and by that I mean involving computers and techie stuff); I'm building a frame to attach my spare monitor to, so I can mount it on the end of my bed. I can't really attach the telly to the wall without my landlords permission and I want a solution I can take with me. I think that attaching it to my bed is an excellent solution. It can be moved around, it doesn't need any structural work or worries and it is very cheap. My main worry is, did I buy a strong enough hook? This will be taking most of the weight, But I put a big load on it (mostly me) and it didn't give. The monitor and vesa mount weigh much less. I'll put some photos up when I'm done. It might well be a proper McGuyver Job!

]]>Tim NewmanHappy2009-03-28T19:09:57+00:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/3e7058d2529cd38e81de3e57206ad2ad-3.php#unique-entry-id-3www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/3e7058d2529cd38e81de3e57206ad2ad-3.php#unique-entry-id-3
By giant I mean hobbit and by live in the sky I mean I have bought a loft bed. I'm very happy with my purchase. Now normally this isn't something that I would have considered but I thought it would be prudent to move into a cheap rental property. So I'm living somewhere cheap and as such my room is tiny.

Specifically it is 2.6 x 2.9m or 7.92 sq.m.

Now that is not a lot of space, the standard double bed takes up 1.4 x 2 = 2.8 sq. m. The door takes up a further square meter. Desk, 1 sq.m. bookcases, chest of draws, wardrobe, not having stuff in front of the window, chair for the desk etc.

It was going to be a squeeze and completely untenable. I basically resigned my self to not having a desk or bookcases. This was until I happened upon the Tromso loft bed when searching for a bed base (It came with a mattress on the floor). Its an absolute revelation, it is like equivalent of someone say "here, let me make your room a third bigger, would you like that?". I now have room for all the things I want from a room, a big desk, bookcases, a double bed and some box storage. There is very little else I actually need. It only cost me £129 and I think it has made my room the equivalent of one that would cost me £40 or more extra. That isn't to be sniffed at.

I can't say that everything is perfect, I'm still a little paranoid about it collapsing and killing me. Rationally I know it won't, but those little creaking noises take on new meaning 1.6 meters in the air. Especially when you built it yourself (with some help from me Dad - thanks Dad!). Additionally I'm 28, it seems a little weird having a bunk bed. Finally my friend Katy pointed out "You'll never entice a lady back if she knows you have a bunk bed". Lucky this isn't on the cards right now, if I meet someone great, but I'm not really looking. Since I don't get trollied and pull randoms, I think I'm safe.

Helping all of this out is the fact that living in someone's spare room for 2 months really forces you to be a lot tidier and I'm finding it much easier to not collect pointless crap. Being tidier is certainly helping and I find myself not buying things because I need the space more than I need the item.

All good, all the time.

Tim x]]>Tim NewmanThinks2009-03-27T18:16:13+00:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/a96eca5f620088cf10e315be60342f61-2.php#unique-entry-id-2www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/a96eca5f620088cf10e315be60342f61-2.php#unique-entry-id-2
1) Harbacked and case-bound
2) Squared paper
3) Acid free paper

It would appear to be a case of pick any two but not all three. I can't imagine that this is a particularly outlandish thing to want, surely there are lots of people out there who would want something like this. I have managed to find two that almost qualify one is a black and red and can only be purchased as a 5 pack and one is made by MAKE (or at least branded as such) and cost $20 + p&p from America. Ouchies.

One a much happier note I have been taking the time to explore the two brilliant new sites: Academic Earth and YouTubeEDU.

Now I fully recognise that these are not a replacement for actually going to university - in fact they are a long way off. They are however, very very good; And they are a lot better than nothing. You may not get the benefit of teaching assistants, lecturers or the other people in your class. You may not get your work marked. What you do get is some lecture courses from some of the worlds best universities. I'm also going to bet best lecturers as it would be very easy to put people off going to your university if you show them the goods up front, I can think of certain lecture courses that would have put me right off Bristol. If you have been to uni and want a refresher, are at uni and want a different take or couldn't go to uni and want a "next best thing" I'd urge you to check it out.

I am currently taking CS106A at Stanford :-)

Tim x

]]>Tim NewmanPersonal2009-03-22T21:29:58+00:00www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/ca55f499fcee0ebdd205e7b82bd7908d-0.php#unique-entry-id-0www.timnewman.org.uk/blog/blog_files/ca55f499fcee0ebdd205e7b82bd7908d-0.php#unique-entry-id-0
I used to worry that nobody read my blog and that what I was writing wasn't very interesting anyway. I know realise that I don't care. It made me write, it made me think. I'm going to try and do it once a week, it may not be interesting to anyone but me. And it doesn't matter one little bit.

So what is happening?

I don't have a job and we are in the middle of the biggest ever financial crisis. Apparently.
I don't have a relationship, and I don't know any single women. I have a few more happy memories than the last time I blogged, and a few more hang ups.
I don't really have a goal for my performances, since I can't go to Edinburg (see point 1).

Sound grave doesn't it? Well it isn't, a VERY good friend of mine summed it up perfectly once "Mate, life isn't that complicated".
I have almost never been happier, yeah there are still things that can make me melancholy (see point 2) but most of the time you'd have to prosecute me to get the smile off my face.

So to all the people reading, and all the people who never will, have a lovely evening.

tx]]>