I happened across a job posting at ILM tonight. Holy shit would that be cool. I've wanted to work there since I was 10 years old.

Once it's filled that page will likely go away, so here are the job reqs:

Systems/Tools Programmer (Python)

Department: Information Systems

Position Summary: Develops tools and applications to assist productions and CG Resources in managing resources, render processes and CG assets. Provides support to individuals and groups using these tools.

Responsibilities:

• Improves, develops, tests, maintains, and documents script libraries and large-scale applications for use by CG Resources and ILM Productions.
  
• Develops and distributes new systems and script releases and maintains relevant versions and libraries; assists with and follows up on integration.
  
• Receives requests and changes from Resources and Productions. Performs analysis, develops and integrates these changes into existing scripts and applications.
  
• Troubleshoots specific tools/applications issues with users and provides guidelines and assistance for all new development occurring outside the department.

Education, Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or other technical degree with 2-3 years experience in a professional software development environment required. Demonstrated ability to serve as an effective contributor on mid to large scale development projects.
• Proficient in UNIX.
• Python experience required. Shell and scripting language such as TCL or perl WBN.
• Experience with C or C++.
• Experience with computer graphics production a plus.
• SQL and database experience a must.
• Familiar with software development and Quality Assurance practices.
• Good communication and organization skills.

I got a darn good gig, but that right there is my dream job.

I had seen the Steve, Don't Eat It site before, but forgot about it for some reason. After reading all the entries, I can honestly say that I'm more informed now than I was before. Who knew that Rosie O'Donnell's scrotum and bacon-flavored dog snacks had anything in common? Or that you can make wine with an old sock? Good stuff!

And his site has wonderful party tips. Like these weevil hors d'oeuvres:

I also vow to never, ever eat natto.

Google got named the Best Company to Work For in America. I certainly think it is (can't seem to convince any of my former co-wokers of that, however). Couldn't imagine a better place to work, in fact.

I was reading through the article and on a lark took their quiz to see if I was fit to become a noogler. My results:

Score: 50/60 points

ANALYSIS:
You've got the basics, but you're not ready to be a Noogler yet.

Oh well. I guess I'll give my resume to Yahoo.

Seriously though, the quiz is wrong. Question #5 has one wrong choice and one partially wrong choice. I chose the more obviously wrong option, and was in turn "wrong". I should write them and have them fix it.

Also, I though this list of interviewing do's and don'ts was interesting. In all the interviews I've done there, I haven't brought up GPAs once. It's on the resume you see before the interview, you note it, and move on. Nobody wants to "talk about any B's you might have received". Baloney.

Under the don'ts, the only one I have an issue with is #4. People mention the competition all the time (especially if they've worked there). I couldn't give two shits where you went to school and what your grades were, but if you worked on some kickass project at a cool tech place, by all means talk it up! Don't go into the interview with code samples and internal documents (it happens, and it means a really quick end to the interview process), or discuss anything confidential or proprietary while there, but there's not a single bit of harm in relating what you did to solve a particular issue at Company XYZ (even if, and maybe especially if, it had nothing whatever to do with tech). Talking about conclusions you came to and decisions you made can lead to some interesting discussions, even when it's very hypothetical or the nitty-gritty details are necessarily obfuscated.

It's all about how you solve a problem and how you think about problems that matter most. That's what the interviews are about, for me anyway.

That and, well, making sure that you don't smell weird.

The dude is the business, man: too cool for school. To wit:

Those tribal-ish tattoos on a woman's lower back which extend outward? The Germans have a name for them: Arschgeweih. Which literally translates to "butt antlers".

Turns out that Jaegermeister sponsors a Miss Arschgeweih contest at bars. And they even have t-shirts which commemorate it.

I dig the Germans.

Tracy's friend Ian sent her an email about this guy who live a few miles from me. This guy collects tanks.

If I ever became insanely rich, I know what my garage would look like. That dude is my personal hero. I have to rty to make it up to the museum one day.

I've been reading this comic kxcd, and I'm loving it. I had come across it before (the sandwich one got forwarded around a lot), but hadn't bookmarked it I guess. I started from the beginning and went back to read them all. My favorite comic so far:

Though they are all pretty good (this one I found especially amusing). Surrealist, absurdist geek humor gets me in the gotcha.