Swim how far?

Arf!

Addicted.

Must. Stop. Watching.

Bah.

For this favourite thing, I've gone and bought myself a Creative Zen Vision:M, and it's really good. The sound quality is very impressive, and I like the intuitive user interface.

However...

One of the reasons I bought it was for trips on the bus/train to my new job. I would quite like to be able to download and watch BBC's video podcasts of their Breakfast bulletins and Newsnight etc. Unfortunately, the BBC only offer these in the MP4 format, which the Vision:M doesn't handle.*

Anyone know how to convert MP4 files to, ooh, let's say AVI?

*Yes, I should have done more research.

Money money money.

So, Gordon Brown (texture like sun) has lowered the base rate of tax from 22% to 20%. That's pretty impressive, I'm sure we all agree.

But what seems to have been sidestepped is that he is also abolishing the 10p tax rate on the first £2150 above the personal allowance - it will be a 20% rate across the board. Simpler, anyway, but this will mean that not everyone will make the grand savings that Flash seemed to imply. For me, at least, I will be saving about £40.

I'll put it towards my council tax increases.

Don't shoot the Sheriff.

I hate first days. The nerves always get to me. Today, the "first day" of my new job was no exception... though on this occasion I was only there for an hour, and the main reason for being there at all was to meet everyone, and to get an idea of what I will actually be doing.

Turns out that what I will be doing is shaping up to being quite interesting... not that I have much of an idea of what it is yet, and neither do they. My predecessor left (obviously) and now their deputy (well, my deputy) is leaving too. A new one will be hired to start a couple of weeks after I do - some time towards the end of April. Effectively I will be given a clean slate to do whatever I want - to drive the department forward in a manner of my choosing. Within reason, obviously.

As a side note... I have a deputy! How cool is that?

Anyway. One of the tasks that needs doing is to create an online induction for the students wishing to use the new library and I.T. centre. Apparently the existing team have knocked together a prototype, which I got to look at today. It was interesting... and needs a bit of work. Which is good - I like a decent challenge.

None of the new computers use Vista, which is fine by me, and as two floors of the new building are effectively mine, I get to be the first member of staff to step inside the finished product on my first day.

I've rambled, haven't I? None of the above is coherent in any way whatsoever, is it?

Oh well.

Dirty.

So I've bit the bullet, and am writing this from the confines of Windows Vista... and I hate to say it, these being first impressions only, but I rather like it.

I bought myself a new laptop today, partly for work reasons, and partly because my old one hasn't worked for many months meaning I've been stuck in the Study whenever I wanted to use the computer, which is pretty much all day. So giving myself a budget of £500, I went out and bought a new lappy, came home with some change, the new shiny, and Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed.

D'yoo'no wot? It looks pretty nifty. I can't really see anything frontend which would justify the cost of it, but on the whole, I do quite like it. Albeit it in a "you bastard Ubuntu, keep up!" kind of way.

Well, fuck me.

(I have said before that I swear, haven't I? Well, I do.)

Anyways... today was the day of the big interview, and I wasn't as nervous as I have been for some, but not as laid back as others either. I met the other candidates, who really knew their stuff, and had a tour of the educational establishment, as well as a look at the new building.

Afterwards, we each had a little test on using Excel and Word, and Google(!) and other twaddle, and then we had our interviews... which I couldn't help but think I talked too much during, and repeatedly repeated myself myself, but all done now.

One other candidate in particular was right on the button, and internally judging them, I could tell that he would be the sort of person for the job. After we finished, I cheekily asked him for a lift, and got his impressions. I told him that I felt he was the strongest there, so convinced was I that it would be his. He is that good, and was already doing a similar role for less money at another location.

So I get home (about half an hour ago) and the phone rings. Here it comes, the dreaded rejection.

But, lo! What is this?

Why, they only want to give me the bloody job! Hur-fucking-rah! Can I start mid April? Yes! Can we pay you more to work for us? Yes! Can you look after two floors of a brand-spanking new building? Yes!

What's more, I got 100% in that silly test. The only candidate who did. Well, as I said, fuck me.

Yay! Work!

So I'm doing a temporary contract job next week, three days, hourly rate 33.3% over my old daily rate, expenses paid, including accomodation, food and travel (as it is away from home).

What am I doing, you say?

Well, XYZ Publishing need me to do my old job for a short while, because the people in the new office don't know how.

It's money, isn't it.

Interview.

Golly, that was fun.

I had an interview this afternoon for Mashed Potatoes Inc. and it went rather well... not "I've got the job on the spot" well, but it was better than I imagined. I don't really want the job, mind. It looks a tad dull, and definitely doesn't pay enough, but it was good practice.

I have the interview for one I do want on Monday. Now that one I'm nervous about!

Day Off.

After the redundancy, I decided that I would let my hair down, what little I have of it, for a week. This being this week. I have an interview lined up for a job I don't want on Thursday, which will be good practice, and one for a job I do want on Monday. Other than that, and a few more applications, this week is mine.

So, Monday.

Got up about 7:30ish. Pottered around the house, and had a cup of tea.

9:30 Got ready to cycle into town. Found bag, gloves, shorts, hat, and keys. Couldn't find pump. Damn you Omally. Checked shed for pump. Checked cupboards for pump. Checked bedroom for pump. Checked kitchen for pump.

9:45 Checked shed again for pump. Found pump. Pumped up tyres, and headed for town.

10:00 Arrived in town, locked bike, and headed to new Cafe for a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. It was very nice. Read a bit of Lee Child's Killing Floor. It's a bit of a pot-boiler, but good enough fun.

10:30 Headed to the surgery and placed a repeat prescription request. Started to cyle up the biiiiig hill towards Salisbury.

10:45 Realised the hill is too big, and took a detour.

10:50 Found an alternative biiiig hill while on the detour. Grumbled, and carried on anyway.

11:15 Got to top of hill. Yay me. Decided to ride down the hill back the way I came. It was more fun than the way up.

11:25 Back in town. Bought a sausage roll. Et it.

12:00 Went back home, went shopping.

13:00 Finished shopping. Pottered for a bit.

14:45 Went to get my hair cut.

15:30 Returned from getting my hair cut.


I take all of the above as conclusive proof that my life is pretty damn dull, and that I am unfit. Tune in tomorrow for the next installment of Kourosism's Modern Life, wherein I go to see my best friend Heffer.

No.

It's an interesting experience to need/want a new job, to need/want more money to come in, and yet to turn people down when the offer you a position with good prospects, decent money and semi-interesting role.

Admittedly this would be working for a company whose sole business is directly related towards the deaths of thousands of people each year, but still...