My Fate In The Hands of a Panini?

So, I check my email and what do I find? A recommendation from Experience.com to apply for a job with a company that I've already applied for. This company, which shall remain nameless turned me down for a position when I interviewed with them.

I don't think I ever told you the real reason I didn't get the job. First a little background. I've got 5 years of healthcare informatics experience. I have consulted for the 2nd largest hospital system in the United States. I have great references. I recently received my Master's in Computer Science and graduated with a 4.0. I apply for a software development job with this company (it's the only Healthcare Software company in Madison, WI). I'm a shoe in, right?

Wrong! I get a call a couple weeks after the interview letting me know that I have been passed over. WTF? I'm perfect for the job, all my interviews went great, and my background and experience are dead on. None of this is a match for the Panini I ate for lunch during one of the interviews.


This Panini came straight from the Devil's Kitchen, cooked in the Satanic Fires of the innermost level of hell. The bread was harder than calculus. I bit into it and the Panini broke into bread needles that sliced the hell out of my mouth. I taste blood and I'm pretty sure that my interview just took on a horrifying turn for the surreal when I see the interviewer staring grotesquely at my mouth.

At that moment, one of the biggest decisions I'll ever make was decided for me by a Panini. I didn't get the job. I ended up taking another one that turned out to be a much better opportunity. Years of experience and a perfect academic record mean squat when compared to the powers of ordinary events to alter your life in surprisingly powerful ways.


On a less philosophical note, I broke down and bought Crackdown last night. I'll admit, I bought it more for the Halo 3 Beta invite than for the game itself but it's turned out to be a pretty fun game. Here's a description I found at an online retailer which pretty much sums it up:

"In Crackdown you must bring order to a corrupt city by defeating gangs, using superhuman power given to you by an Agency. You can also throw cars."

Eliminating My Carbon Footprint... And My Enemies

Well, I've done it again. I've been neglecting you. In my defense, it's been quite a busy month. As I mentioned, I got a new job and moved to Arkansas. It's just now beginning to warm up which means camping and floating soon. I can't wait. The Ozark Mountains have some amazing outdoor activities and I'm excited to begin exploring the area.

I'm happy to say that Angela and I have officially "gone green". We took the first step by beginning to replace our incandescent light bulbs with CFL's. We bought 16 CFL's and plan to buy more with my next pay check. They are definitely more expensive than regular bulbs but the energy savings and environment impact are more than worth it.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, if every American swapped just one conventional bulb for a CFL, it would collectively save them more than $8 billion in energy costs, prevent burning 30 billion pounds of coal, and keep two million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere. That's with just one light bulb! Most people who begin using CFLs see a noticeable drop in their electricity bills, something I'm also looking forward to.

In addition to switching out the light bulbs, we've turned down our water heater and plan to start recycling. Ideally I'd like to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them.


My carbon footprint isn't the only thing I've been reducing. I've also spent some time lately reducing my enemies to their bloody, constituent parts. No, I'm not the Butcher of Bella Vista. I've been playing Gears of War and I'm happy to say that I've raised my skill level from utterly pathetic to merely inconsequential. That game’s hard and there are definitely people who play way too much but I'm slowly beginning to show an aptitude.


If you have an Xbox 360 and don't own Gears of War my only question is why? The single player campaign is breathtaking and the online multiplayer component is a visceral pleasure. I really can't say enough good things about it. Get it.


Master Chief and I have also been hanging out. I didn't have an Xbox when Halo 2 came out but I'm making up for it now. Sure, the graphics are dated especially after being spoiled by the visual delights of the 360. Nonetheless, no other game of the genre even approaches the gameplay of Halo 2. Even though the title debuted in 2004, the online community is still thriving which speaks volumes about the games lasting appeal.


I'm now biding my time until Halo 3 comes out. The release date is November 1st. I don’t think I can wait that long. I watch the Halo 3 announcement trailer several times a day and with each viewing my anticipation grows like a malignant tumor. I'm hoping a slot opens up in the beta so I can play before then but that's highly doubtful. Looks like I’m just going to have to wait to FINISH THE FIGHT!