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random thoughts and images that somehow make up my life
- another year of me
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So, Friday was another birthday.
How old you ask? Well I am not yet at a point where I feel the need to politely hide such details, so I will answer. Friday I turned 36.
The age itself does not seem to be terribly important in and of itself, at least as a number. I used to think before I turned 30 that somehow this thirty-something period would be frightening. Luckily, that has not been the case at all.
I have decided to shake things up as of lately though. So this year should be interesting. I took the plunge about 2 months ago to leave 'the man' per se and resign from my corporate design job of 7 years.0 I came to the conclusion that I wanted to point my career and professional time more in a direction of web 2.0, virtual worlds and other social media technologies.
When I left the 'day job' I didn't even dare try to explain my work in the virtual world Second Life. Eyes glazed over when I mentioned the term blog even. I figured I should just leave it at that.
It is a brave new world, ripe with the rewards of being master of my own fate (for the most part) and also sadly, payer of my own health insurance. I so far don't regret the decision. Although I do have my days of worrying that my path is not quite as stable and straight. But, I have always been a fan of the 'road less traveled' and look forward to the adventures it will bring.
Going down this 'social media path' has already lead to meeting many amazing people in the last 2 years. I look forward to many more great connections and hope I can bring a bit of my expertise and care to those new people I do meet along the way.
So, in some ways this is more of a 'Happy New Year' than a 'Happy Birthday' post. But, it sort of fits. Thanks to all I have met along the way and I hope for a great year to come.
Til later - take care.
JoyceTags: birthday, moi, secondlife, hope Sunday June 17, 2007 - 01:13am (PDT) Permanent Link | 0 Comments - melancholy music
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Damien Rice came out with a new album, "9". I always find his music to be so raw and full of angsty feelings that usually focus on relationships with others. His music often feels more like a diary entry. I have yet to pick up the album, but because he allows fans audio taping shows, I had heard a lot of the new tracks by listening to the show he did in LA on 11/13/06. Amazing stuff.
I found specially poignant the song "Accidental Babies". Including the lyrics and You Tube video here below.
Sunday November 19, 2006 - 02:00pm (PST) Permanent Link | 0 Comments - but what of the baby seals...
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Tuesday October 17, 2006 - 07:59pm (PDT) Permanent Link | 0 Comments - LISTEN | BREATHE | CONCENTRATE | THINK | SPEAK SLOWLY
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I know.. long time no post. My time has been diverted elsewhere and have been busy-busy.
So...what prompts this rolling over and waking up from blog posting hibernation of sorts? Well...I got a call last week.
Almost a week ago I got a call about a possible job opportunity. The job market is obviously picking up and I have been getting random recruiter emails/calls but most are either nothing related to what I would want to do or are a wild-flung, contract job somewhere. Although, there are the days I think about running off to join the contractor circus..I usually don't jump at those opportunities.
But this call was from an actual company looking to fill an internal position. And, a design one now less! They referenced finding my resume on Monster.com, which is funny cause I can't remember the last time I even updated or logged into there. I have moved over most of my info to Yahoo's Hotjobs. The woman called me back the next day for a pre-screen phone interview and tommorrow morning I am scheduled to get a call from the hiring director of the corporate branch geographically near me. So, in my efforts to sort my thoughts and hopefully not sound too silly while being nervous, I wrote down some notes.
I thought I would post them here. Why? Who knows...maybe a help to someone or some constructive comments would be good. Granted these notes are to the more general, 'why should we hire you' sorts of questions. And, I won't be reciting these word for word. More like cue cards to poke my thoughts further. I also am going to be ready to spout off stuff about graphic design, CSS and javascript... fun, fun.
Wish me luck!
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Skills I have to succeed in this position:
· Extensive design experience in both print & web
· 12 + years Photoshop
· Making web sites since 1996
· Idea conceptualization/mock up creation
· Ability to focus on the needs of clients, both internal and external
· Juggling multiple projects/tasks and completing them in an efficient/timely manner
· Project management experience
Goals:
To continue to hone my skills in design while also furthering my career path towards challenging opportunities which allow me to exercise my knowledge and creativity.
Achievements:
Developed the company branding for my current employer (logo, colors, look & feel)
Part of a development team that has completed over 100 client sites. Responsible for design of site templates and graphic elements & keeping within client’s branding/colors.
Implemented a time and money saving way to deal with direct mailing campaigns by utilizing NetPost.
Co-created a utility for sending e-mail campaign messages to prospective brokers/clients
Strengths:
Strong desire to find the best possible solution to a problem, strong problem solving skills combined with a sense of curiosity, trying to understand how all parts fit together to make the best complete thing.
Weaknesses
Sometimes public speaking can be a weakness, especially in larger groups. Some nervousness about communicating well what I want to bring across can sometimes make me quicken my pace and add filler wording.
I try to consciously work on this and recently even spoke at a software user conference on a panel. I find organizing important key things I want to say beforehand helps.
(User conference for a virtual world space called ‘Second Life’, which interestingly enough is where I found out about an opportunity in which I came to work with the NYC non-profit, Global Kids, doing web development for their blog project. http://www.holymeatballs.org)
Thank you for your time today and was great to get a chance to speak to you.
Tuesday September 19, 2006 - 08:48pm (PDT) Permanent Link | 0 Comments - WBRU's FINAL top 100 list
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Goodbye after 35 years.. the final countdown
(reads, this weeks number, last weeks number, band name, title)
1 3 Yellowcard Lights And Sounds 2 11 Panic! At The Disco The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage 3 7 Pearl Jam World Wide Suicide 4 23 Blue October Hate Me 5 16 Jack Johnson Upside Down 6 1 Foo Fighters No Way Back 7 10 System Of A Down Hypnotize 8 6 Fall Out Boy Dance, Dance 9 2 Shinedown I Dare You 10 4 Avenged Sevenfold Bat Country 11 20 Arctic Monkeys I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor 12 43 Angels And Airwaves The Adventure 13 42 Nine Inch Nails Right Where It Belongs 14 48 The Raconteurs Steady, As She Goes 15 21 Coheed & Cambria Welcome Home 16 15 Disturbed Just Stop 17 56 Korn Coming Undone 18 5 H.I.M. Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly 19 49 Avenged Sevenfold Beast And The Harlot 20 13 Godsmack Speak 21 9 Korn Twisted Transistor 22 12 Disturbed Stricken 23 14 System Of A Down Question! 24 55 Damone Out Here All Night 25 27 She Wants Revenge Tear You Apart 26 8 Matisyahu King Without A Crown 27 39 Hawthorne Heights Saying Sorry 28 44 The Dresden Dolls Sing 29 28 Yeah Yeah Yeahs Gold Lion 30 17 Fort Minor Where'd You Go (w/ Holly Brook & Jonah Matranga) 31 32 Seether Remedy 32 30 Gorillaz Feel Good Inc. 33 65 Weezer This Is Such A Pity 34 22 Beck Heaven Hammer 35 19 Morrissey You Have Killed Me 36 31 Death Cab For Cutie Crooked Teeth 37 45 Matisyahu Youth 38 35 Weezer Perfect Situation 39 41 System Of A Down BYOB 40 Nightmare Of You I Want To Be Buried In Your Backyard 41 54 Nine Inch Nails The Hand That Feeds 42 Sublime Santeria 43 33 Shinedown Save Me 44 34 We Are Scientists Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt 45 40 Nine Inch Nails Only 46 Taking Back Sunday MakeDamnSure 47 Everclear Santa Monica (Watch The World Die) 48 73 The Red Hot Chili Peppers Give It Away 49 Rage Against The Machine Bulls On Parade 50 60 Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit 51 100 Alice In Chains Would? 52 64 Green Day Holiday 53 74 The Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings 54 Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song 55 58 People In Planes If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode) 56 68 Evanescence Going Under 57 The Beastie Boys (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right 58 62 Evanescence Bring Me To Life (w/ Paul McCoy) 59 Blink-182 Dammit 60 Stone Temple Pilots Plush 61 75 The Red Hot Chili Peppers Can't Stop 62 59 Green Day Holiday 63 Nirvana Come As You Are 64 89 Linkin Park In The End 65 96 The Red Hot Chili Peppers Under The Bridge 66 63 311 Down 67 Linkin Park Breaking The Habit 68 The Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Impression That I Get 69 70 Blur Song 2 70 37 Fall Out Boy Sugar, We're Goin Down 71 Busta Rhymes Touch It 72 80 Mary J. Blige Be Without You 73 Goldfinger Here In Your Bedroom 74 90 Trapt Headstrong 75 Foo Fighters Everlong 76 Weezer Say It Ain't So 77 99 Linkin Park Faint 78 Green Day Basket Case 79 The Cure Friday I'm In Love 80 93 Beck Loser 81 57 Lit My Own Worst Enemy 82 92 Linkin Park One Step Closer 83 Papa Roach Last Resort 84 66 The Killers Somebody Told Me 85 76 Linkin Park Crawling 86 98 Green Day American Idiot 87 Toadies Possum Kingdom 88 50 System Of A Down Violent Pornography 89 Sublime What I Got 90 71 The Offspring Self Esteem 91 Jimmy Eat World The Middle 92 Green Day Brain Stew 93 3 Doors Down Kryptonite 94 38 Weezer Beverly Hills 95 69 Alice In Chains Man In The Box 96 Bush Comedown 97 97 The Smashing Pumpkins Disarm 98 The Offspring Gone Away 99 Green Day American Idiot 100 51 Green Day Jesus Of Suburbia Friday March 31, 2006 - 11:57am (PST) Permanent Link | 0 Comments
