Friday, March 24, 2006

Knocked out by a palm tree. What a busy week! I attended a funny meeting today. It turned out that about half the people who were due to be there weren't, so it was quite awkard for the hosts. I think they had been expecting the Queensland Minister for Health and possibly even the Premier, but neither came. No wonder the host was drinking a lot of wine; he was facing a sea of fairly unimpressed faces. Although I have to admit, it relaxed me a little, because I ended up not having to make conversation with people who can be very difficult at times (Government ministers being what they are). So it was a good afternoon, although I'm feeling very drained right now. Anyway, things have been changing so much lately that it can be hard to keep track. I am now going out there once again and contacting people who I haven't spoken to in a while; specifically, those involved in publishing. Now seems like a good time to go back and pursue work in that field, considering that now I'm in a much better position - I can knock back what I don't want to do and accept what I'm interested in. Ideally it'd be good to secure full-time work in Sydney for one of the publishers I've worked for previously, but it's not something I'm counting on. Mostly, I'm just interested in seeing where everyone is and what they're all up to. I'm also now looking at getting back into freelance web work. I figure that it will help me to further beef up my portfolio too (and possibly help to pay for a little travel here and there). So all-in-all, things are as crazy as ever, although I'm feeling relatively satisfied with life at the moment. Certain things could be better, but really, I'm fairly happy with everything. In amongst all of this, I'm going to attempt to dedicate some time to OtakuBoards. I think some serious work on the new site is needed if I'm wanting to get it done anytime within the next thousand years. Combine that with the two other personal sites that I'm working on and I think I'm going to be very busy over the coming months. Annie-chan: Aw, that's disappointing. But I don't blame you. I wish I had more time to devote to Guild Wars, but I just don't right now. Hopefully that will change. Arcadia: Oh, thank you...respnsibility hero? It's funny to hear that, because I'm always a victim of my own ambition; I take on far too many projects at once and invariably spread myself thin. But I suppose it keeps things exciting...or stressful. lol Glad to hear from you though and I hope things are going well for you. ^_^ Charlie: Hopefully that bad smell will linger for many years to come. Harlequin: Wow, really? Maybe Toowoomba is Melbourne's sister city, then! Haha. I've heard some interesting things about Toowoomba, though I have never been there. I've heard it's a very charming place, though. John: Thank you, sir. It's cool that you like the name, I was expecting nobody to like it really. lol Aaryanna: Animal Crossing, eh? On DS? I haven't played the DS version yet. What are your thoughts on it? It's very odd to live in a state with such limited variety in weather, yep. It's basically just "hot/cool" and "wet/dry" and that's about it. I love Melbourne because every season we get is real. Everything from frosty winters to boiling hot summers to autumns where all the trees go red and yellow. ^_^ And yes, that's what I'm referring to. Luna Park is an Australian icon, particularly in Melbourne. And speaking of theme parks, it's a shame that Sydney closed down Wonderland...that was a big one over there. I've heard it was very good, too. >_>; I hope you're enjoying your time as an OB staffer, by the way! indifference: Yeah, as I said to Aaryanna, it's so odd not to have the same seasonal shifts as in Victoria. I'm hoping that the site turns out alright, but as per usual I am putting too much pressure on myself, because of the kind of site that it is. But I'm sure it will all work out - I may just have to settle for something that isn't quite what I want, if only to get it out before we all grow old. lol I am happy to hear that you are so far enjoying your experience at OtakuBoards. I'm looking forward to working with all the new staff when we transition to the new site (which will hopefully happen this year). hEvN: I think "intimate" is the way to go, yep. It'll be nice to find ways to pay back those who have helped me so much over the years. ^_^ SunfallE: Song titles and weird incidents, as today's title suggests! ^_^;; Annie told me that the site's name made her think of Nine Inch Nails, which is interesting. The name is actually fairly random, but somehow it's a name that I've been thinking about a lot lately. There's actually a town in Australia with this name (I saw the sign on the way down to Sydney). I thought it was uniquely Australian in terms of its genuine weirdness and humor...combining that with a kind of carnival atmosphere is what I'm generally shooting for. But who knows what'll happen there. From what I've seen, you've been doing a wonderful job at OtakuBoards. So I'm very happy that you accepted the position. ^_^ Funnily enough, someone was telling me that a lot of people are a bit miffed, because they think I'm deliberately only choosing new members as Moderators these days. I found that pretty funny (and I'm guessing that those same people didn't notice Bombu's appointment...or they don't remember his previous names). Generally though, it was a good dose of forum politics that I haven't had to deal with in a good long time. It reminded me how glad I am not to be immersed in that every day. lol CosmicSailor: I understand what you meant, but believe me, there's nothing blind about the expectation that you will be heard the harder you pound. I understand that this is not always the case for any given period of time. Believe me, I have done plenty of pounding on the doors of many companies over the years and I've had plenty of knock-backs. So of course, it's not a black and white link. But my overall point stands; the harder you push, the more likely you are to achieve something. This does not mean that you will, because plenty don't. The point isn't that it will magically happen, the point is that it's worth the effort because it increases your chances. Hopefully that clarifies my earlier point. ^_^ I do not mean to imply that you don't push your hardest every day. Not at all. I am sorry if I've given you that impression. My comments were very general - they were directed at the general struggle to get employment. As I said, I understand how tough it is and I've been there myself. It's not nice and "trying hard" certainly isn't always enough. But it does help. As far as why it's not working, I obviously am in no position to comment on that, as I don't really know all that you are. I suppose all you can do is self-analyze and speak to others. Some employers - not all, but some - will actually explain what was wrong if they pass you over for a job. Admittedly, many don't do that, but sometimes it's good to ask anyway (and I'm sure you probably do, but again, my point is very general here). Chabi: Thanks much! Asuki: Thank you so much for the compliment! I hope you are doing well, m'dear. ^_^

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