Been a while since the last post here, couple of reasons for that.
1) Been gaming a lot, flicking between a few different games - Portal 2 (PC), L.A.Noire (Not been out for long) and City of Heroes (Of Course!)
2) I have been working a lot behind the scenes of Pure Boredom's parent company, Syphernet.com. I really want to re-launch it
3) Decorating the Living Room - See Twitter lol
I should get back to some sort of blogging at some point next month - I have one I want to post, even if its a bit belated.
Friday 27 May 2011
Monday 9 May 2011
Shitty Course Part 2 of 2
This post isn't going to be as a long winded rant as I though it was going to be, because, well, the course wasn't as bad as I though it was going to be - And that's saying something... So, I'm basically going to go back through the steps in the 1st part of this 2 part epic and might add a little to the end.
Step 1 - Power Point Presentation
There wasn't one, no power point was to be seen. There was a flip chart, but that was mostly used to illustrate things, nothing like I expected in that regard
Step 1.5 - Health and Safety
It was done because it had to be, took all of 5 minutes
Step 2 - CV
We where offered an hour tomorrow to create a new CV, completely optional. But we did go through what makes a good CV - And you know what, this advice was GOOD advice, I am actually going to put some of it into action for my CV
Step 3 - Application Forms
We did go through application forms, but we didn't fill one in (though we could have if we wanted while listening) and again, some good tips. Most other courses say something along the lines of "The sooner you get it back, the sooner you may get the job", but there advice was along the lines of "Take your time, if you have 2 weeks, take a week or just over, don't rush it, you want to make a better impression and taking your time can help that" - That's good, that's some bloody good advice.
Step 4 - Team Building
We sort of did this, but it was to explain first impressions and was 1 10minute exercise - No Complaints.
Step 5 - Job Search
Did none, there wasn't the facilities to do it
Other Step - Interview Technique
The guy taking the 'class' went through tips for interviews, not just one to one interviews, all types of interview and most of it I will take into any interview I have.
So that was the course I was on, it really wasn't as bad as the others I have been on, they condensed 2 weeks into 1 day and I came out more knowledgeable than I did on any other course - In fact, I am going to name the course provider, if they ever find this and read it, I hope they take the previous post as a First Impression and this post as a Well Deserved Complement. Its an Australian company called Pertemps, I have no complaints.
Step 1 - Power Point Presentation
There wasn't one, no power point was to be seen. There was a flip chart, but that was mostly used to illustrate things, nothing like I expected in that regard
Step 1.5 - Health and Safety
It was done because it had to be, took all of 5 minutes
Step 2 - CV
We where offered an hour tomorrow to create a new CV, completely optional. But we did go through what makes a good CV - And you know what, this advice was GOOD advice, I am actually going to put some of it into action for my CV
Step 3 - Application Forms
We did go through application forms, but we didn't fill one in (though we could have if we wanted while listening) and again, some good tips. Most other courses say something along the lines of "The sooner you get it back, the sooner you may get the job", but there advice was along the lines of "Take your time, if you have 2 weeks, take a week or just over, don't rush it, you want to make a better impression and taking your time can help that" - That's good, that's some bloody good advice.
Step 4 - Team Building
We sort of did this, but it was to explain first impressions and was 1 10minute exercise - No Complaints.
Step 5 - Job Search
Did none, there wasn't the facilities to do it
Other Step - Interview Technique
The guy taking the 'class' went through tips for interviews, not just one to one interviews, all types of interview and most of it I will take into any interview I have.
So that was the course I was on, it really wasn't as bad as the others I have been on, they condensed 2 weeks into 1 day and I came out more knowledgeable than I did on any other course - In fact, I am going to name the course provider, if they ever find this and read it, I hope they take the previous post as a First Impression and this post as a Well Deserved Complement. Its an Australian company called Pertemps, I have no complaints.
Sunday 8 May 2011
Shitty Course Part 1 of 2
As you may or may not know, I'm unemployed, have been for a while. Not due to lack of trying, I apply for just about anything (there is a few things I cant do, either because of qualifications or 'health' reasons [for lack of a better word]).
Every once in a while, the Job Centre will send you on a course, to help you get back to work - These courses either consist of a work placement, doing a company's shit work for free or a course to help you find a job, doing a CV, application forms etc - This is the course I'm being sent on tomorrow.
Luckily, its only for one day, that's what I've been told anyway and I can tell what's going to happen even before I get there.
Step 1 - Power Point Presentation
They all have them, usually has the H&S stuff (see Step 1.5) but more often than not, its about what they do, how many people they have helped get a job, normally exaggerate, because they sometimes offer people part time/ad-hoc work, and they count these people. There tooting there own horn basically.
Step 1.5 - Health and Safety
All there H&S Shit, where the exits are and stuff like that... Meh, it has to be done
Step 2 - CV
They all ready phoned asking if I have a CV, which I do, but I know they are going to want me to make a new one, or they are going to make a new one for me. I'm not going to let them touch it, they can give me tips on what to add, but there not making a completely new one from scratch, every time I go to one of these courses, they make me a whole new CV, totally different from the last and it really annoys me. Infact, it could be that what is stopping me from getting a job...
Step 3 - Application Forms
The person taking the 'class' will then talk about application forms, how to fill them in, then probably give us all a mock application, then tell us all its wrong. Yeah, its not like we haven't all filled in an application before, though most places do online applications these days, so this exercise is a bit pointless.
Step 4 - Team Building
This is the bit about these courses that pisses me off the most, not because of the team building, I don't mind working in a team. Its the exercises they have us doing, this is where they treat you like a child! There all different, I've done posters about health eating, posters about bus and train times, posters about the job market, collages[correct spelling?] about random shit, I have even been told that one place had the people decorating eggs... What the fuck? Do they use Key Stage 2 books or something?
Step 5 - Job Search
Argh! This pisses me off too, not as much as the team building, but there is only so many times you can search the same websites, read the same news papers and flick through the yellow pages. I have been on a 14 week course where all it was, was job search, 9am to 4pm reading the same newspapers, looking at the same websites and flicking through the yellow pages. Honestly, once or twice a week, for a couple of hours is enough for 'focused' job search (there words, not mine)
Lucky, this course is only 1 days, or that's what I have been told, with a 10am start - Wish me luck
Every once in a while, the Job Centre will send you on a course, to help you get back to work - These courses either consist of a work placement, doing a company's shit work for free or a course to help you find a job, doing a CV, application forms etc - This is the course I'm being sent on tomorrow.
Luckily, its only for one day, that's what I've been told anyway and I can tell what's going to happen even before I get there.
Step 1 - Power Point Presentation
They all have them, usually has the H&S stuff (see Step 1.5) but more often than not, its about what they do, how many people they have helped get a job, normally exaggerate, because they sometimes offer people part time/ad-hoc work, and they count these people. There tooting there own horn basically.
Step 1.5 - Health and Safety
All there H&S Shit, where the exits are and stuff like that... Meh, it has to be done
Step 2 - CV
They all ready phoned asking if I have a CV, which I do, but I know they are going to want me to make a new one, or they are going to make a new one for me. I'm not going to let them touch it, they can give me tips on what to add, but there not making a completely new one from scratch, every time I go to one of these courses, they make me a whole new CV, totally different from the last and it really annoys me. Infact, it could be that what is stopping me from getting a job...
Step 3 - Application Forms
The person taking the 'class' will then talk about application forms, how to fill them in, then probably give us all a mock application, then tell us all its wrong. Yeah, its not like we haven't all filled in an application before, though most places do online applications these days, so this exercise is a bit pointless.
Step 4 - Team Building
This is the bit about these courses that pisses me off the most, not because of the team building, I don't mind working in a team. Its the exercises they have us doing, this is where they treat you like a child! There all different, I've done posters about health eating, posters about bus and train times, posters about the job market, collages[correct spelling?] about random shit, I have even been told that one place had the people decorating eggs... What the fuck? Do they use Key Stage 2 books or something?
Step 5 - Job Search
Argh! This pisses me off too, not as much as the team building, but there is only so many times you can search the same websites, read the same news papers and flick through the yellow pages. I have been on a 14 week course where all it was, was job search, 9am to 4pm reading the same newspapers, looking at the same websites and flicking through the yellow pages. Honestly, once or twice a week, for a couple of hours is enough for 'focused' job search (there words, not mine)
Lucky, this course is only 1 days, or that's what I have been told, with a 10am start - Wish me luck
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Yes AV or No AV, That is the Question
If your in the UK, you will know what I'm talking about, if your not in the UK, then I'm talking about the Alternative Vote, or AV for short. Tomorrow (5th May 2011), ever voter in the UK gets to choose whether we change a centuries old voting method aka First Past The Post.
And its really fecking confusing!
Not AV itself, that's easy to understand, its what should I vote for, that's what this post is for, sort of.
First we have, The First Past The Post voting system, the system that we have used for hundreds, if not thousands of years and has worked for just as long. Now, it has its problems, just look at the last General Election in the UK, hung parliament, David 'Call me Dave' Cameron and his Tories managed to get in with Nick 'LapDog' Clegg and his Liberal Democrat propping up there votes. All that because no one got enough votes.
With that example, the Lib Dems held all the cards, they could have chosen to go with Labour and we would have a totally different government that we have now, but they didn't.
Next we have AV (If you want to know what AV is, click this big link), AV is only used in 3 countries, with Australia being the biggest using it. AV does sound like a good system, it will make the parties fight more for there seats and create less safe seats (Hartlepool is a safe Labour seat for example) but even this has its bad points, bad points that the No campaign are using and are fair points if you think deep into it, but the Yes campaign also has very good points. Oh and the Yes campaign has some of my favourite comedians behind it, Stephen Fry and Eddy Izzard.
So what are these arguments? What is good about Voting Yes and what's bad about Voting Yes, and same with No?
Alternative Vote:
The Good: Party's will have to fight for there seats and have less room for lies and changing there policies.
The Bad: The BNP could get a seat or 2 very easily, and this isn't a good thing.
First Past The Post:
The Good: It has worked for thousands of years and 99.9% of other democracy's use it.
The Bad: Just look at the state of the UK since the ConDems got into power at the last General Election
I want to vote Yes, but part of me knows that even if I do, No will win. People don't like change, most voters read the Daily Mail and Daily Mail readers are idiots.
Yeah, sorry if this makes no sense, but when has politics ever made sense :P
And its really fecking confusing!
Not AV itself, that's easy to understand, its what should I vote for, that's what this post is for, sort of.
First we have, The First Past The Post voting system, the system that we have used for hundreds, if not thousands of years and has worked for just as long. Now, it has its problems, just look at the last General Election in the UK, hung parliament, David 'Call me Dave' Cameron and his Tories managed to get in with Nick 'LapDog' Clegg and his Liberal Democrat propping up there votes. All that because no one got enough votes.
With that example, the Lib Dems held all the cards, they could have chosen to go with Labour and we would have a totally different government that we have now, but they didn't.
Next we have AV (If you want to know what AV is, click this big link), AV is only used in 3 countries, with Australia being the biggest using it. AV does sound like a good system, it will make the parties fight more for there seats and create less safe seats (Hartlepool is a safe Labour seat for example) but even this has its bad points, bad points that the No campaign are using and are fair points if you think deep into it, but the Yes campaign also has very good points. Oh and the Yes campaign has some of my favourite comedians behind it, Stephen Fry and Eddy Izzard.
So what are these arguments? What is good about Voting Yes and what's bad about Voting Yes, and same with No?
Alternative Vote:
The Good: Party's will have to fight for there seats and have less room for lies and changing there policies.
The Bad: The BNP could get a seat or 2 very easily, and this isn't a good thing.
First Past The Post:
The Good: It has worked for thousands of years and 99.9% of other democracy's use it.
The Bad: Just look at the state of the UK since the ConDems got into power at the last General Election
I want to vote Yes, but part of me knows that even if I do, No will win. People don't like change, most voters read the Daily Mail and Daily Mail readers are idiots.
Yeah, sorry if this makes no sense, but when has politics ever made sense :P
Sunday 1 May 2011
It only took 5 Years...
But I finally got EBeaver, my Energy/Kinetic Villain on City of Heroes to level 50!
The majority of that 5 years was solo, which is my own fault but also because of the server population. Defiant Red Side isn't really that populated, but I put that no invite flag on too so its my fault lol.
But yeah, finally got a Villain to 50, and my 2nd ever 50 in 6 years of playing CoH. Next up would be my Peacebringer, which has been stuck at 36 for about 3 years, but my Peacebringer sucks, so might level my Controller from 22 - Who Knows =P
On a side note, I'm going to write a post about the PSN thing, should be this week after the free stuff has been announced.
The majority of that 5 years was solo, which is my own fault but also because of the server population. Defiant Red Side isn't really that populated, but I put that no invite flag on too so its my fault lol.
But yeah, finally got a Villain to 50, and my 2nd ever 50 in 6 years of playing CoH. Next up would be my Peacebringer, which has been stuck at 36 for about 3 years, but my Peacebringer sucks, so might level my Controller from 22 - Who Knows =P
On a side note, I'm going to write a post about the PSN thing, should be this week after the free stuff has been announced.
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