Irrational Public Radio’s latest (and first and only) limerick challenge awarded this blog a mention of the honorable kind for the following lines:
There once was a friendly marshmallow,
fell in love with a dish of green jello.
They had children aplenty
Honorable mention goes to Dave for :
…they were eaten by Nobel laureate Saul Bellow.
for, yes, mentioning Saul Bellow.
This is an interview given to me by my undergrad assistant, Andrew, for his MIS class. Below are the questions and responses.
What is your name?
Dave
What is your job classification?
System Analyst
What are your long-range goals and objectives?
My long-range goal is to not die. My other objectives include being happy, having fun, and continuing my education to earn my PhD.
What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
External rewards are an illusion. The best reward you can get is personal
satisfaction.
How do you think a friend or professor who knows you well would describe you?
Smart-working instead of hard-working. (In other words, lazy but smart.)
In what ways have your college experiences prepared you for a career?
College allowed me to lower my expectations of what a career should be. It is important to go to college because it foments your ideas of mature, working and personal relationships. You might also learn something – or better yet, learn how to learn. Also, you learn what isn’t important.
How do you determine or evaluate success?
Success is being happy with where you are.
Describe your most rewarding college experience.
My most rewarding college experience was getting to be with pretty
girls. Nothing is as satisfying.
What led you to choose your major or field of study?
I chose computer science as a study because I was naturally gifted in it, and I knew I could always make money from it if I needed.
What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
Extracurricular activities were great. I learned how easy it is to have fun in lots of different ways, and I got to try out lots of different roles other than ’student’.
In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
A good work environment is one where you have a sense of control. As humans with egos, we like to feel that we have some level of control, even if we really don’t. Also, having good people like Andrew around is important. The people really make the difference in a job. Working with assholes is not fun.
What jobs have you enjoyed the most? Least? What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?
My favorite job was as a radio DJ. I also liked being a kindergarten teacher, since it’s really just playing games with kids all day. My least favorite job was chicken-shit shoveler. I really, really hated that (and other farm work.) The most important things I’ve learned from work is the value of working smart, how to deal with people, and how to organize my priorities.
Please describe and discuss yourself? Strengths and weaknesses? (Be prepared to provide examples.)
I yam what I yam. My strengths are also my weaknesses. Stop asking me silly questions.
Okay, I’ll give an example: one of my weaknesses is that I take work too seriously. I will feel slighted if someone makes a decision in ‘my area of work’ and doesn’t include me. Luckily, I’ve learned to let those things go and apologize if I step on others’ toes.
My best strength is knowing when to stop
