Documentation concerning the entry of an average collegiate into the world of real humans.
Humor and humility, joy and schadenfreude in one convenient place.
Humor and humility, joy and schadenfreude in one convenient place.
I'm so proud to work here.
Published 20060721 by Alex.
An update!
Published 20060717 by Alex.
So, *some* of you seem to think I should update more often - well, I've got this to say to you: As soon as something interesting happens, I'll update.
Fortunately for all of you, something interesting did happen! This morning, Lewis Black came to work to talk about his new book, Nothing's Sacred. I got there a few minutes early, but the room was already packed. Dave and I squeezed into a corner and waited for the man himself. He came in, did a little bit on how bizarre Seattle is, and then gave us an extended warning never to attempt to write a book. A little bit of Q&A followed, centering on why he doesn't have his own show (answer: Fox found someone who could play him better than he himself could, and then cancelled the series), why he hasn't written any screenplays (answer: he did, around 1985, but Columbia Pictures offered Bill Murray for the lead, and he turned it down - if it had big stars in it, it was no longer *his* movie), and a few others. After this, there was time for anyone who'd brought a copy of the book to have it signed, and they raffled off several copies.
Fortunately for me, I won one of those copies! Not only that, but I won about the fourth one raffled, so I was in the front of the line and didn't have to wait for an hour. Lewis and I had a long and interesting exchange (Him: Hi - what's your name. Me: [Points to badge) Alex. Him: OK.....here you go - enjoy. Me: Thanks - love your work.) So, now I've gone to a fishbowl, met Lewis Black, and won something in a raffle - I can check all those things off the big "to-do" list now.
Aside from that, really not too much happening. Work last week was fine, I learned a little more about what I actually need to be doing, and completed a project just in time to find out that the thing I was fixing actually wasn't used at all anymore, and got assigned a new chunk of the project which I currently have no idea how to do. So, same old, same old, pretty much. This weekend, I went out with Mikey and some of the guys from Microsoft on Friday - dinner at Contour, hanging around at Mikey's house for a while, then off to the bars - nothing too fascinating. Saturday Mikey called me and wanted me to come to Fremont with him to meet his friend Paul from Microsoft and a couple of his friends at some bars - so, since Fremont is pretty far away (at least, it is by bus, and I can't pay for a taxi...), I hopped in my car and went to get Mikey. When we left his house, we called Paul to see where exactly they were, and it turned out they were moving to Belltown - a quick bus ride away. But I already had my car, so we went. We waited around for a while for them to show up, and finally caught up with them at Amber, an extremely trendy club on 1st Ave - it was extremely crowded, the drinks were expensive and small (but Paul bought me a couple, so thanks Paul!), and I didn't really have a lot to say to anyone - so, meh. At about 1, Mikey and I left and went to back to a place near his apartment because he wanted to dance - I figured, what the hell, and went for a while. Again, nothing special. Then home.
Sunday I played Need for Speed - Porsche Unleashed all day. I really don't know why.
So that's it.
Fortunately for all of you, something interesting did happen! This morning, Lewis Black came to work to talk about his new book, Nothing's Sacred. I got there a few minutes early, but the room was already packed. Dave and I squeezed into a corner and waited for the man himself. He came in, did a little bit on how bizarre Seattle is, and then gave us an extended warning never to attempt to write a book. A little bit of Q&A followed, centering on why he doesn't have his own show (answer: Fox found someone who could play him better than he himself could, and then cancelled the series), why he hasn't written any screenplays (answer: he did, around 1985, but Columbia Pictures offered Bill Murray for the lead, and he turned it down - if it had big stars in it, it was no longer *his* movie), and a few others. After this, there was time for anyone who'd brought a copy of the book to have it signed, and they raffled off several copies.
Fortunately for me, I won one of those copies! Not only that, but I won about the fourth one raffled, so I was in the front of the line and didn't have to wait for an hour. Lewis and I had a long and interesting exchange (Him: Hi - what's your name. Me: [Points to badge) Alex. Him: OK.....here you go - enjoy. Me: Thanks - love your work.) So, now I've gone to a fishbowl, met Lewis Black, and won something in a raffle - I can check all those things off the big "to-do" list now.
Aside from that, really not too much happening. Work last week was fine, I learned a little more about what I actually need to be doing, and completed a project just in time to find out that the thing I was fixing actually wasn't used at all anymore, and got assigned a new chunk of the project which I currently have no idea how to do. So, same old, same old, pretty much. This weekend, I went out with Mikey and some of the guys from Microsoft on Friday - dinner at Contour, hanging around at Mikey's house for a while, then off to the bars - nothing too fascinating. Saturday Mikey called me and wanted me to come to Fremont with him to meet his friend Paul from Microsoft and a couple of his friends at some bars - so, since Fremont is pretty far away (at least, it is by bus, and I can't pay for a taxi...), I hopped in my car and went to get Mikey. When we left his house, we called Paul to see where exactly they were, and it turned out they were moving to Belltown - a quick bus ride away. But I already had my car, so we went. We waited around for a while for them to show up, and finally caught up with them at Amber, an extremely trendy club on 1st Ave - it was extremely crowded, the drinks were expensive and small (but Paul bought me a couple, so thanks Paul!), and I didn't really have a lot to say to anyone - so, meh. At about 1, Mikey and I left and went to back to a place near his apartment because he wanted to dance - I figured, what the hell, and went for a while. Again, nothing special. Then home.
Sunday I played Need for Speed - Porsche Unleashed all day. I really don't know why.
So that's it.
Advertising
Published 20060710 by Alex.
So, today's post won't be about what's up with me lately, because there isn't anything up with me lately. (Seriously - I had to invent an excuse to get out of the house this weekend, and the excuse involved an emergency cup of coffee.)
No, what's on my mind today is this: Advertising. I have no problem with advertising - in its benign forms: Magazines, TV Commercials, Billboards, and other passive media. I even (to some extent) appreciate targeted advertising, e.g. banner ads, because depending on where they're placed and what data they use, sometimes they're actually useful to me. However, I'm getting pretty upset that it seems like every good idea, when questioned as to how they'll become profitable, turns to advertising. Every Web 2.0 startup with a great idea that's not profitable immediately plasters their site with as many ads as possible, rather than try to come up with ways to make their service better and make money at the same time.
At the same time that so many more people are slathering ads all over their site, the ads get more insidious - what's that? You've run out of room for image-based static ads? Well why don't we make a Flash ad that pops up over whatever the user is reading and follows him down the page, with video and audio and nary a close button to be found? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! I will seriously consider buying this product or service now.
Here's my rule - if my blood pressure rises, even a little, when looking at an ad for a product, I'm not going to buy whatever it is. If the ad interferes with whatever I'm doing, I'll disregard it. It could be advertising the 100% guaranteed cure for cancer, and all they need is $5 from me for worldwide distribution, and I'll ignore it. Furthermore, I'll probably teach Firefox to block it. If ads comprise more than say 10-15% of the visible area of a site, I'm leaving, and taking my non-paid clicks with me. If your program insinuates itself into the damp recesses of my computer just to sit in waiting until it can spawn 12 pop-ups trying to sell me generic V1@gr4 or low-rate mortgages, I'm not buying any of it - and I'll hunt you down and beat you with a sock full of pennies.
If you want me to buy your crap, make better crap, and market it in a way that doesn't force me to rant like this. Conversely, if you've got a good idea and no way to make money from it, either expand it to profitability, or sell it to someone who has a better idea than you. In any case, everyone needs to reevaluate these strategies - build profitability into your web ideas from the start (if you plan on making money off them - there's no need to, generally), and consider your customer when buying ad space.
Also, to all of the idiots who keep clicking on this stuff - you're the majority of the problem - thanks.
Whew, that's a relief. Almost as relieving as that LOW LOW 5.9% APR on my new mortgage from www.internetsavant.com.
No, what's on my mind today is this: Advertising. I have no problem with advertising - in its benign forms: Magazines, TV Commercials, Billboards, and other passive media. I even (to some extent) appreciate targeted advertising, e.g. banner ads, because depending on where they're placed and what data they use, sometimes they're actually useful to me. However, I'm getting pretty upset that it seems like every good idea, when questioned as to how they'll become profitable, turns to advertising. Every Web 2.0 startup with a great idea that's not profitable immediately plasters their site with as many ads as possible, rather than try to come up with ways to make their service better and make money at the same time.
At the same time that so many more people are slathering ads all over their site, the ads get more insidious - what's that? You've run out of room for image-based static ads? Well why don't we make a Flash ad that pops up over whatever the user is reading and follows him down the page, with video and audio and nary a close button to be found? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! I will seriously consider buying this product or service now.
Here's my rule - if my blood pressure rises, even a little, when looking at an ad for a product, I'm not going to buy whatever it is. If the ad interferes with whatever I'm doing, I'll disregard it. It could be advertising the 100% guaranteed cure for cancer, and all they need is $5 from me for worldwide distribution, and I'll ignore it. Furthermore, I'll probably teach Firefox to block it. If ads comprise more than say 10-15% of the visible area of a site, I'm leaving, and taking my non-paid clicks with me. If your program insinuates itself into the damp recesses of my computer just to sit in waiting until it can spawn 12 pop-ups trying to sell me generic V1@gr4 or low-rate mortgages, I'm not buying any of it - and I'll hunt you down and beat you with a sock full of pennies.
If you want me to buy your crap, make better crap, and market it in a way that doesn't force me to rant like this. Conversely, if you've got a good idea and no way to make money from it, either expand it to profitability, or sell it to someone who has a better idea than you. In any case, everyone needs to reevaluate these strategies - build profitability into your web ideas from the start (if you plan on making money off them - there's no need to, generally), and consider your customer when buying ad space.
Also, to all of the idiots who keep clicking on this stuff - you're the majority of the problem - thanks.
Whew, that's a relief. Almost as relieving as that LOW LOW 5.9% APR on my new mortgage from www.internetsavant.com.
Internet!
Published 20060708 by Alex.
I have internet! In only a very limited sense, though. The movers lost the box that had all my computer cables and small accessories, so I was able to scrounge together enough to hook up my main desktop computer. Then today, after the cable guy left, I started the self-install for the cable modem, but couldn't get it to work. It turns out my wireless router is fried, or crazy, or something, so it doesn't work. I finally managed to get the desktop to connect, but that's all I've got right now.
I guess it's OK, except I can't use my webcam on the MacBook since I don't have an extra ethernet cable, and I can't use my Replay to watch my brand-new cable because it has to check in to make sure it's activated. Hopefully I'll be able to fix these problems soon.
Wish me luck!
(Everything else is fine, by the way - thanks for asking!)
I guess it's OK, except I can't use my webcam on the MacBook since I don't have an extra ethernet cable, and I can't use my Replay to watch my brand-new cable because it has to check in to make sure it's activated. Hopefully I'll be able to fix these problems soon.
Wish me luck!
(Everything else is fine, by the way - thanks for asking!)
Been a long time
Published 20060706 by Alex.
So, it's been a little while - because I moved! I'm in the new place now, all of my things are with me, I bought a bed, and now I can sit at home all day watching my DVDs on my huge TV because I have no cable or internet!
So, that explains my absence. I'll be back Saturday, or maybe Sunday at the latest. Everything else is pretty uneventful. Went out with Mikey for the fourth, accompanied Noah and Dave to a party near Noah's, and then went off to the UW campus to watch the city fireworks from the docks. Good times were had by all.
Of course, those good times came back to me when I woke up this morning at 8 in no condition to go to orientation, which I'd forgotten all about. I went, I got oriented, and really all I have to say about it is that we all have to hear about healthcare options sometime, but it's frightening to meet someone who's really EXCITED about it, much less at 9 in the morning. At least now I know which was I'm pointed.
Work overall has been pretty uneventful - I've been slogging through startup documentation and getting my workstations customized just how I like them. For all the nerds out there, I can recommend no program more than Synergy, a virtual-KVM kind of program - I just move the mouse off of my Windows laptop, and it pops up over on my Linux desktop lickety-split. It's wonderful. Wonderful isn't even a good enough word to describe it.
Tomorrow I might start actual work - but nothing too taxing, it doesn't look like. Still, it's exciting!
I'll post pictures of my apartment...eventually. Maybe Saturday, maybe I'll wait 'til it's finished being decorated - which could be a while.
So, that explains my absence. I'll be back Saturday, or maybe Sunday at the latest. Everything else is pretty uneventful. Went out with Mikey for the fourth, accompanied Noah and Dave to a party near Noah's, and then went off to the UW campus to watch the city fireworks from the docks. Good times were had by all.
Of course, those good times came back to me when I woke up this morning at 8 in no condition to go to orientation, which I'd forgotten all about. I went, I got oriented, and really all I have to say about it is that we all have to hear about healthcare options sometime, but it's frightening to meet someone who's really EXCITED about it, much less at 9 in the morning. At least now I know which was I'm pointed.
Work overall has been pretty uneventful - I've been slogging through startup documentation and getting my workstations customized just how I like them. For all the nerds out there, I can recommend no program more than Synergy, a virtual-KVM kind of program - I just move the mouse off of my Windows laptop, and it pops up over on my Linux desktop lickety-split. It's wonderful. Wonderful isn't even a good enough word to describe it.
Tomorrow I might start actual work - but nothing too taxing, it doesn't look like. Still, it's exciting!
I'll post pictures of my apartment...eventually. Maybe Saturday, maybe I'll wait 'til it's finished being decorated - which could be a while.
Work!
Published 20060701 by Alex.
Well, I guess I haven't updated in a while - it's been a kinda busy week. I did indeed start work on Wednesday, and after the usual starting-up hurdles, everything's going pretty smoothly now. While I can't really go into any detail, I'm excited about what I'm going to do, and excited generally for the future at Amazon.
As for the personal half of life, it's going pretty well too. Thursday some friends from college came into town, and so I went and saw them Thursday (providing a good test of my waking-up abilities the next morning) - we walked downtown for a little while, hung around at Mikey's, and went and got a few drinks. Good times.
Yesterday I got to see Superman Returns at the IMAX theater in Seattle Center, which was cool - doubly cool considering that parts of the movie were in IMAX 3D, which actually was pretty cool. The movie itself was just OK, but the IMAX part made the cool scenes even cooler. All together though, don't waste your time unless you REALLY like Superman, or wasting time.
Yesterday night was more drinking and dancing with Chris and Brandon (aforementioned college friends) and Mikey, and we went to the War Room - a pretty cool club on Pike with propagandist paintings all over the walls and a lot of very loud hip-hop and very delicious and expensive drinks. Still, I'd go back.
Follow that up with a few more hours of drinking and dancing, I walked home at about 3:30AM, and here I am now. Fun fun fun.
That's about it for me - the movers are coming to bring my possessions to me at 7:30 (!) on Monday, so I need to get my stuff out of the temp place today or tomorrow, and figure out some kind of a sleeping arrangement at my new place before I get a bed - there's no way I'm going to try to wake up and get out of here at 7 in the morning.
Wish me luck!
(By the way, everybody go congratulate Dawn - she got a job! She'll be working at Panera, which is pretty cool, and alleviates a lot of concerns about various things. Plus now she'll for sure be able to come here in August, so all I have to do is buy a plane ticket.)
As for the personal half of life, it's going pretty well too. Thursday some friends from college came into town, and so I went and saw them Thursday (providing a good test of my waking-up abilities the next morning) - we walked downtown for a little while, hung around at Mikey's, and went and got a few drinks. Good times.
Yesterday I got to see Superman Returns at the IMAX theater in Seattle Center, which was cool - doubly cool considering that parts of the movie were in IMAX 3D, which actually was pretty cool. The movie itself was just OK, but the IMAX part made the cool scenes even cooler. All together though, don't waste your time unless you REALLY like Superman, or wasting time.
Yesterday night was more drinking and dancing with Chris and Brandon (aforementioned college friends) and Mikey, and we went to the War Room - a pretty cool club on Pike with propagandist paintings all over the walls and a lot of very loud hip-hop and very delicious and expensive drinks. Still, I'd go back.
Follow that up with a few more hours of drinking and dancing, I walked home at about 3:30AM, and here I am now. Fun fun fun.
That's about it for me - the movers are coming to bring my possessions to me at 7:30 (!) on Monday, so I need to get my stuff out of the temp place today or tomorrow, and figure out some kind of a sleeping arrangement at my new place before I get a bed - there's no way I'm going to try to wake up and get out of here at 7 in the morning.
Wish me luck!
(By the way, everybody go congratulate Dawn - she got a job! She'll be working at Panera, which is pretty cool, and alleviates a lot of concerns about various things. Plus now she'll for sure be able to come here in August, so all I have to do is buy a plane ticket.)
About me
- I'm Alex
- From Seattle, Washington, United States
- I'm just moving to Seattle, settling down, and beginning my career at Amazon.com.
- My profile