Life

[Lu]

My keyboard was kind of filthy, so I decided to clean it with red wine. After thinking about it a bit more, I decided that was a terrible idea, so I had to take out all the keys so I could remove the wine. NOW I CANNOT FIND MY F1 KEY ANYWHERE. Everything on my desk is black too, which isn't helping. HELP, I can't find my F1 key! HAHAHAHAufduirehbig;uerhgpa0'rhegogr 

 

Seriously though, this sucks. Where'd it go!?

 

Edit: Fell inside one of my shoes, next to my desk!

[Patrick R]

LGBT thread would not be uncalled for. Feminist thread certainly gets enough traffic.

[miffy495]

Gormongous, that really sucks. Especially the thing with your aunt deciding to take a spotlight using the situation. Not super classy on her part. Hope you and yours are doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances.

 

I've now received three calls for job interviews in four days. The interview on Tuesday went super well and though I don't expect to get the job (full time one year contract, fifth grade class in a crazy rich neighbourhood, super competitive) I'm glad for the experience and am comfortable knowing that I interviewed well and that if I didn't get it it was honestly because the other person was better suited, not because I fucked up in the interview. Have another one tomorrow morning. Less permanent, covering the back 4 months of someone's maternity leave in a grade 4 gifted class (contract would run out at the holiday break), but a really good way to get my foot in the door. Also, I went through the same gifted program back in the day and am actually really interested in shaping what it becomes in the years ahead, so that's cool.

 

On top of all this, I'm super proud of my partner right now. She got an email yesterday from the undergraduate advisor in her faculty that was basically pleading her to upgrade to the honours program. Apparently the profs were looking over the students and none of them could figure out why she wasn't going for it, so they decided to approach her directly about it. Super cool. I went through honours, and have been trying to nudge her in that direction for a while, but the fact that she's being scouted for it floored me. It's really awesome, and I'm crazy proud of her, so I wanted to share that.

[Ben X]

Feminist thread certainly gets enough traffic.

 

Which is ironic because women can't drive.

[Twig]

I rode my bike all the way to the station today! Guys I'm not a complete and total tub of lard. Just mostly one! Excite.

 

(Okay, I stopped a little before the end because I was trying to look for a different access route, and I needed to go slower to make sure I had it right. I found it! Now I wonder if I'll have the energy to do it on the way home, too.)

[syntheticgerbil]

Well the F2P "Lords Management" game I worked on at the horrible company with the CEO of dubious morals and rampant nepotism just got featured on Penny Arcade. Besides all of the constant internal strife I had and the company's ability to fire/lay off nearly half the staff for one reason or another (myself last month) before replacing them with their own bro friends that they hang out and smoke weed with, I simply think the game is just objectively bad, boring, broken, and unpolished. We were never allowed credits either, which was neat. I like the animations I did for the game but they just were just implemented crudely with shoddy effects work and sound. I like some of the character concepts I did, the ones that weren't committee'ed to death, but the final art and models from my concept leaves a lot to be desired. I also did not name the white rabbit Max as some kind of tribute to Sam and Max. I was pretty annoyed with that as a big Sam and Max fan, as I honestly was not trying to rip any character as it was originally supposed to be a game of anthropomorphic animals and he was sort of left over. The fact that the rabbit was white should have just been the only similarity.

 

Err anyway, I don't really want to post any names in fear that my previous employers will get back at me (hopefully you guys don't name the names here either), but there's so much I can go into and really don't want to think about. I just feel like everything led to me getting the short end of the stick, even though I knew early on when working at that company that I should have been trying much harder to bail to somewhere else.

 

Still can't find another job in the area and the places I think I would fit are filled up. Unemployment won't kick in because they are still investigating my claim, five weeks later. I deem it wrongful termination personally for multiple reasons, but I guess they are probably arguing with my former employer (or they are stalling). I can't even file an appeal unless the unemployment office makes some sort of decision. In a way it gives me hope that that the delay is maybe a good thing since you don't usually get unemployment for being fired and then I can get some kind of money and at least stop with going broke here while I try to figure out what the hell I need to do with my life.

 

All I wanted was the company to fail, if not even for me but to make my earlier former coworkers feel better because of all the similar pain and humiliation. I am trying so hard not to concentrate on vengeful thoughts since I'm so bad about holding grudges, but my Facebook is ablaze with this crap. I don't think I've ever felt lower professionally. I really want some good karma to come my way soon.

[Roderick]

But the website of the game looks so kindly and professional! Oh, video games, won't you ever grow up? I know exactly the bullshit you mention. There are so many 'wild west' companies out there, founded more on personal ego than considered business practices. Hopefully things will go your way soon - though do let go of the wanting to see the company fail. You are not Khan. Revenge doesn't do a person good. Remember that you don't have to consider yourself a victim, that's something that you choose to be in equal measure.

[Ucantalas]

Well... I mean... it looks nice, at least.

 

I agree with Rodi on the revenge thing. There is no sense in getting worked up constantly over something in the past that you can't do anything about. And wanting others to fail just leads to bitterness. Its not a good thing.

[Joewintergreen]

Man, that shit sucks.

 

So you're an animator then? Can I see some of your sweet animatrons?

[Justin Leego]

I agree with Rodi, the Lordsite looks well slick, they even have a cheerful lady to compère the videos! But seriously, any future prospective employer should understand the nature of the work and how things may or may not have gone down. Hopefully a casual recommendation from PA will still reflect well on those looking for alternative employment.

 

Meant to ask earlier, but, Molydeux Game Jam next weekend? I had a look at the listings early on and saw a couple of signups looking to take part round your way. Might give you an opportunity to do something in a style you really enjoy (or a style that is bitingly satirical and professionally liberating), and a good way to make or strengthen contacts. Plus a chance to get fantastic exposure if your work happens to impress any passing journos, bloggers, tweeters or instagram-viners that drop by.

 

(edits because I got worried about being read as patronizing instead of appropriately '

')

[syntheticgerbil]

Yeah, I should really drop the revenge shtick, I've just gotta block it out. Funny you guys think the game looks so professional. I guess the art is technically good, but it all leaves me so cold. All the final art except UI was done by a company in China because none of the staff artists were considered good enough. A lot of it just ended up getting touched up in house though.

 

My demo reel and other animations are here, Lacabra: www.mrseanlane.com/animate.html Hope you like them on some level.

 

Hey Justin, are you going to the Game Jam? Unfortunately I have to skip this one, I'm going to Houston this weekend for my Dad's birthday, but I was considering it. I went to the Global Game Jam earlier this year and it was a great experience. I'll probably try to go to ever game jam I can as they come up. The project my team did earlier this year is still being worked on little by little, we want to flesh it out a bit for a cheap iOS app if we can. We should be meeting up again to do further work next month. But for sure I try to make it to most industry events in town. I met someone early last week who was going to put my work in for Edge of Reality early because they need an animator "soon," so I guess I would be first in line before they put up the job posting. That might work out too.

 

Anyway thanks for the words you guys. It cheers me up.

[tegan]

Cleaning my apartment today; so far have found 25 empty 1-liter Brisk Iced Tea bottles stored in various cupboards. What is my life.

[syntheticgerbil]

Wh-why?

[miffy495]

I got a job! The grade 4 gifted class thing! I'm a teacher!

 

 

 

*nervous vomit*.

[elmuerte]

Grade 4? Lucky you? Grade 5 kids are really a PITA.

 

I have no idea what grade 4 is. But I do know I don't fancy teaching.

[dibs]

Well done!

Also, Tegan, get thee to a recyclery.

[Nachimir]

Congrats Miffy!

[Ucantalas]

Miffy: Congrats!

Tegan: I know that feeling... Just with 2L coke bottles.



 

[syntheticgerbil]

TIME TO TEACH THOSE KIDS A LESSON.

[Roderick]

First laugh of the day, Synthetic!

[Nappi]

Wooo.. Congrats Miffy!

[brkl]

Congratulations

[Apelsin]

Congrats Miffy!

What subjects will you be teaching?

 

I've finally managed to start making a game!

Feels great to actually have gotten over the hurdle of starting, now I just got to figure out how to continue!

[miffy495]

Grade 4. Apparently I'm going to be on the Language Arts/Science team with another teacher, and the Social Studies/Math team will collaborate with us to develop the whole year plan towards the end of the summer. So I'll be teaching everything, but focusing on Science and Language stuff. Fun!

[Justin Leego]

Cool beans! Of course, now you've got all summer to game your ranking on RateMyProf