lastdragoncrono

Civil Service Test

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:59:11 GMT

Nothing much to report really. I'm still looking for work, but given the economy I'm not really hopeful for most of the positions I'm apply for. I took a major state civil service test Saturday, which I'm pinning most of my remaining hope on. It was for a dozen or so different positions throughout the state, so hopefully I'll hear something back eventually.

I was hoping to find something in Syracuse so I could be close to Deanna and my friends in Oswego, but that's looking less likely given the ~~Depression~~ Recession. I have to say at this point I'll take whatever I can get wherever it might be. Most of the positions were in Albany or NYC, but there were others scattered throughout the state. In any case I don't really expect to hear back on it until May or June at the earliest and more likely not until fall or winter. Which means more fruitless job hunting...

Arcon Was Awesome

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:25:44 GMT

As the title says, this year's Arcon was well put together, and excellently run. I had a great time throughout, and I was glad to get to see a lot of the old STG crowd again, even if only for a little while.

Still no job

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:33:15 GMT

So I got a letter from my last interview, saying I didn't get the job. I was really hoping to get it too. I'm not sure what to do now, since I don't really have any leads now.

Second Interview

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:51:55 GMT

I got some good news today, I'm being brought back next Monday for a second interview with the Syracuse City school district. The position is for an Account Clerk 2. Unfortunately it's only part time and for a year, but its still better than nothing. I'm hoping I can get it and get some experience, and possibly get brought on full time eventually.
I'm also planning to take more civil service exams in January and March.

That hurt...

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:27:52 GMT

I was walking again today after my interview, when an SUV whipped around the corner and almost hit me dead on. I was up at the intersection and turning around when he took the curve quickly. As he drove by, the car clipped my hand. The driver stopped, leaned out, asked if I was ok, and before I finished answering drove off.

Top 5 table top games

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:36:45 GMT

My top five favorite tabletop campaigns:

1. Relic of the Crusades/Accidentally Chosen. Briggs games both set in his world, for the excellent character interactions and epic plots. I find myself drawn to larger than life story lines and epic tales of heroism, which is why these games just worked for me. I'm not sure which one occupies the top slot.

2. Entropic Dawn. Sean's post apocalyptic Forgotten Realms game, where Entropy absorbed Lathander. Bleak, grim and yet epic. We started as children fleeing for our lives and wound up saving the world.

3. Post Apocalyptic WoD, Moto's post apocalyptic game about the survivors and their interaction with the remnants of civilization. I enjoyed my dual personality hippy chick possessed by an alternate world barbarian outlaw.

4. Mages in Chigago, Pete's NWoD Mages game, where we started out being pursued by power crazed professors and wound up hopping to Ravenloft. The genre shifting was interesting as we found ourselves in many unusual situations and trying to survive things we weren't suited for.

5. Starship Aeon - Dave's wonderfully wacky BESM game featuring a wide variety of characters collected from a variety of different worlds. The only game ever to feature Mega Man, Horatio, Taslehoff Burfoot, Hulk Hogan and others. Even after all this time, I still remember "I detect no heat, it's fine!"

Sick and stuck

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:50:39 GMT

I've been sick the past two weeks or so. Its a chest cold, a cough that won't go away. Everything I think I'm getting better, it comes back the next day. I still have no insurance, so I haven't seen the doctor. If I don't feel better tomorrow I'll have to bit the bullet and make an appointment anyway.

So here I am, six months after graduating with my MBA, and still no job. I've tried everything I can think of given limited resources. I've been putting in application in Syracuse almost every day, I've tried job placement agencies too. I have a phone interview tomorrow, the first interview I've managed to get in a month.

I've also been keeping an eye out on the local and state civil service jobs, although state jobs would likely require me to go to Albany. At this point I'm willing to do it, given the lack of prospects here. I've been sporadically applying in the surrounding cities as well, including NYC. Lack of transportation or money makes things more difficult.

I'm not sure what else to do, and it'd damn depressing to keep sending in resumes and applications, and get either rejection letters or silence back. I know I have to keep trying, but it feels like I've applied to every company in Syracuse by now.

Pain

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:09:08 GMT

Damn, I tripped and I think I broke my little toe on my left foot. And by that I mean its swollen and bent at an angle. Crap.

Success!

Sun, 25 May 2008 03:15:54 GMT

I finally finished grad school and got my MBA! I got my grades earlier, and I did much better than I was fearing.

MBA 517 - Organizational Management: A-
MBA 537 - Management Science 2 ( the one I was worried about failing because of the presentation): A-
MBA 540 - Materials Management: A-
MBA 550 - Management Policy: B+

Overall this semester I got a 3.58, high enough to make the Dean's List. I'm not sure how I got an A- in 537, but I'm not questioning it. I succeeded, I've got my graduate degree. Now to find a job with it.

Also congratulations to Alex and Rachel, their wedding was very nicely done, and I wish them the best in their marriage. :)

Finished

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:34:58 GMT

I finally finished my last presentation tonight, which brings me to the end of my long list of projects and tests. If everything goes well, and I get above the required 3.0 GPA, I can get my Masters Degree.
I’m a bit worried because MBA 537, the elective I took for an easy A turned out to be ridiculously difficult because about 10 people made the mistake of telling the professor they were taking the class because his previous course was easy and they didn’t want to do any work. Idiots. Of course he decided to be a hardass and add extra projects. Anyway we had group projects, which were worth 30% of the grade, and which we bombed miserably. I have no idea if he’ll give us partial credit, but I need a C- at least.
Fortunately my other three classes are going much better. MBA 517 was an A before the final, which was 20% of the class. Even if I bombed it I’ll get a B/B+ and I think I did decently. MBA 540 was easy enough, and I should get an A-. For MBA 550, the capstone course I found out I got a 90, so I managed an A- barring last minute changes. So hopefully I’ll graduate, and move on to finding a job.

Iron Man and things to do

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:54:37 GMT

The entire STG went and saw Iron Man this week in lieu of our meeting, and it was awesome. We had 30+ nerds crowding the theaters, more than the Underworld or Matrix movies. I really enjoyed going as a swarm and seeing a movie on the big screen with friends. It was awesome, and I'd encourage everyone who hasn't seen the movie to do so soon, because it makes up for Spiderman 3.

I have a lot to do this semester to finish up. Here's a list so I don't forget:
MBA 517: Final on May 13th @ 2 -4
MBA 537: Take home test due Tuesday, Group project, power point and presentation due by Thursday.
MBA 540: Online test this weekend, due Monday.
MBA 550: Simulation group project, power point and presentation due Wednesday.
MBA 550: Strategic Audit of the School of Business group project, power point and presentation due Wednesday.
May 8th: My birthday. I have a presentation that day. Joy...
Friday May 9th, go home to celebrate my birthday, and prepare for -
5/10 Civil Service exams in Syracuse in the morning, within my field. Then I have to come back to Oswego for the end of the year party and the transfer of power to Scotty.
After all of this, I'll be done and in the clear. If I do well I'll graduate and get my Masters Degree. There's just a lot to do this weekend...

Life in general, and STG

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:49:47 GMT

So life goes on for me. I'm trying to finish my many projects for this semester, and help the STG transition into next year. I've got three more weeks of classes, and many more projects and papers to go before I finish my MBA. Tonight I'm working on MBA 550, especially the Shareholder letter for my group project and the test in MBA 537 tomorrow. I still need to find a job once I graduate. I've been putting in applications in Syracuse and I plan to take some civil service tests for government jobs which require a masters degree.

Alex, Liz, Scotty and Bobby will be our new President, VP, Treasurer and Secretary. I've got to train Scotty a bit this week, and get POs in for locker purchases and the End of the Year Party. There was a bit of contention over some of the nominations, and I do wish there had been more dialog between people beforehand, and less complaints and hard feelings about the results afterwards. But I still remember previous years, and we're still more unified and better run than was the case then. I'm sure that E-board will do fine next year, and STG will continue to grow and be productive. I still hope to see Arcon 8 have 150 people.

The important thing for everyone involved to remember is that the STG's purpose and mission is to advance the interests of gamers on campus and create a safe environment for us all, which takes precedence over any individual arguments, which is why I've dedicated so much time and effort to it. Having a place to belong and friends who understand you is a wonderful thing, something most people take for granted, and its something which people should put aside their own pride so that the people who will achieve the most for the organization can do so. I've tried to calm tempers by pointing this out, but I'm not sure if I've had any success. Hopefully hard feelings don't fester over it.

We had our murder mystery spring dance last Friday, or tried to... Unfortunately, almost no one showed up, and we called it quits around 9:30. Pete and Alex did a good job of getting it organized by picking out music and writing up a plot, but PR was lackluster and given upcoming finals we didn't have much interest. We went bowling afterwards, and that was a lot of fun, even though I sucked at it. :P Its nice to hang out with friends outside of gaming, which is why I'm looking forward to seeing Iron Man this week.

NYSH 3 had its last game of the semester on Saturday, and I must say I enjoy playing more than I did being ST. ;) The last game was crazy, as it should be. There were about 40 vampire hunters, which was mostly my fault, as I tried to use them rather than getting rid of them when there weren't many of them.

Arcon Reflections

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:01:05 GMT

I just got back from Arcon VII, which in my opinion is the most successful Arcon to date. As treasurer of the STG again this year I had a hand in getting things organized. I also helped with set up and take down. However, the real credit this year goes to Rachel, Alex and Pete, all of whom went above and beyond this year to really make Arcon and the STG shine. There were a few minor problems, but in comparison to past years things were professional, ordered and successful, and I’m proud to work with all three of them and Green this year.

As my last year as an Oswego student unless I decide to come back for another degree (which is always possible :P) I’ve really been impressed with STG’s performance this year, and with the skills and abilities which problems are taken care of and solutions found. Our budget this year was 6100 and we’ve increased that to 8100 next year, which will hopefully help make Arcon 8 even more successful. Unfortunately I likely won’t be involved in running it next year, although barring unforeseen circumstances I certainly plan to be there.

As for Arcon games, I ran a D&D game first slot, which went relatively well, even though we ran out of time. Second slot I played in Tyna’s Sonic game, which was fun and quirky, as expected. Saturday third slot I played Jere’s Grey Ranks game, which was interesting. I’m not much for independent games most of the time, since I prefer D&D or white wolf’s styles and genres. However this game was poignant and tragic, chronicling the rise of the Polish Underground during WWII, and their subsequent annihilation by the Nazis while the Soviets sat on their hands. It was interesting, and gave me a bit to think about in terms of gaming in the future. Also it was good to see Jere again, since he’s no longer in the area.

Forth Slot I played in a pickup Marvel Game based on the card game. I’m not sure what system if any the GM was using or if it was entirely freeform, but it was certainly cool. We were teenagers thrown into an asylum for being ‘insane’ or ‘dangerous’, which is a great theme and one I’d love to run a supers game under in the future.

Fifth slot was Pete’s Offend the Town game, in which we were orcs attacking a town. I was definitely a blast… literally. We wound up burning the city, tentacle raping many people, and stealing a sacred tablet, and a pair of +5 Mormon holy underpants. Heh, being stupid and evil is fun once in a while, as this game showed. Sixth slot I just relaxed, and hung out with people and talked.

Today I ran a munchkin game, which wasn’t quite MunchCon, but was fun nonetheless. After that I ran a Mutants and Masterminds game where the PC’s were the new x-men, and they defeated Apocalypse. Fun was had by all.

I have to say that Arcon always seems to be bittersweet in a way, since I greatly enjoy hanging out and seeing people who aren’t around anymore, who’ve moved on with their lives. At the same time, it brings back old memories and thoughts of old days. I saw a lot of old friends that I wish I could have talked to more, but a lot of older members didn’t show, including Dave, Aimee, Justin, Will, Mike and others . I wish I could keep people here longer, but I know time marches on and people move on with their lives. I’m feeling the urge to move on myself this year, stronger than ever before, and I wonder where I’ll be in a year, in two, in five, in ten…

In any case, I’ve done as much as I can in and for STG, and this year I’ve come to realize that I need to move on elsewhere. Somewhere there is a corporation or government office for me to work on and apply my knowledge and skills to improving. I’ll never forget the people I’ve met and the great times I’ve had in STG, which Arcon exemplifies, but I know I need to begin moving on, as painful as it seems. I hope to find a position close enough to Oswego and campus that I can continue to be with Deanna and to participate in events here often for a while longer, but that won’t be the same as being a student.

In any case, Arcon this year was excellent, and a huge success. I hope to be there for Arcon 10, 25, and 50.

Everyone else is doing it

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:38:08 GMT

Your results:
You are Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor		64%
Dr. Doom		60%
Magneto		58%
Green Goblin		57%
Apocalypse		53%
Kingpin		52%
Riddler		46%
The Joker		44%
Juggernaut		41%
Mr. Freeze		40%
Venom		37%
Two-Face		33%
Dark Phoenix		31%
Catwoman		28%
Mystique		17%
Poison Ivy		16%

A brilliant businessman on a quest for world domination and the self-proclaimed greatest criminal mind of our time!

Click here to take the "Which Super Villain am I?" quiz...

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		95%
Spider-Man		75%
Batman		60%
Robin		52%
Hulk		45%
Supergirl		42%
Iron Man		30%
Green Lantern		25%
Catwoman		20%
The Flash		15%
Wonder Woman		12%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Excellent

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 16:55:05 GMT

I finally got my grades for the semester, and I did well.

ECO 390 Environmental Economics B
MGT 261 Business Organization A
MBA 501 Accounting Principals A
MBA 505 Operations Management A

An update

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:41:40 GMT

I realized I haven’t updated my journal since the beginning of the semester, and here it is December and the end of finals week. Time to change that.

First, I have a girlfriend, Deanna. She’s a fellow gaming nerd, and member of STG (yes, half the club is dating the other half). She’s new, a freshman, and we met at MTTB this year, and hit it off. I’m really excited and happy to be with her, and we’re getting along very well. Now that Winter Break has come, I’m definitely sorry to leave Oswego. :P

Next, classes are over, and finals are done. I’m headed out sometime today (since it’s Friday). I’m looking forward to a break, but I’ll miss being here for a few weeks. Eh, I’ll just get some books, or Final Fantasy 12, and kill time with those.

STG this semester has been awesome, and it’s great to be back, even if I am one of the oldest people around now. Pete and the rest of E-Board have done a fantastic job of rallying the local nerds into doing stuff, and it’s wonderful to be able to go to mini-cons or meetings without the cliquishness and hostility of past years. The massive influx of freshman is also a welcome sign, as for the first time in years more that half of STG is SA.

As for what I’ve been doing, class and STG events, along with spending time with Deanna. Classes this semester have been easy, but that’s because they’ve mostly been undergrad intro management courses. Next semester will probably be more difficult. Also, depending on how classes turn out, I may wind up in charge of either NYSH and/or STG.

Yeah, it looks like I’ll be running for HST of NYSH, and serving as Influence ST under either Chris Green or Phil should I lose. That should be interesting regardless of the outcome. Also, people have expressed interest in my running for office for STG for next year, probably as treasurer. Whether I accept depends on how difficult classes turn out, as well as if I want to eat up that much time again. Either way, it’s an honor to be considered again.

Returning to Oswego

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 02:44:12 GMT

So, after a year living at home while trying to find work, I’ve returned to Oswego for my MBA. It been interesting so far this semester, since I’m only taking 12 credit hours, with 6 of those being undergrad credits. One of them MGT 261, fulfills the requirements of a grad course (MBA 503), while the other (ECO 390) is an elective that seemed interesting. Of the two graduate classes I’m taking, MBA 505 is an online course, and MBA 501 is a mixed grad/undergrad accounting class.

The online class is interesting, but since I’ll probably never meet most of the people in it, it somehow seems less real, which means I’ve had to focus twice as hard and try to do the work early in order to counter that feeling. It’s weird, all of the real classes I’m taking are undergraduate courses that traditional BA students would have taken already. Of course, I never expected to return for my graduate degree, so I need to take them now.

I’m living in Mackin this year, on the third floor. I must say, it’s nice to not have to worry about a roommate. While I enjoyed living with members of the STG crew and Tatsuo, the frat boys were another story. Mackin of course locks up at 7, so no worries about drunks running up and down the halls at 3 AM this year, or things getting stolen, or anything else.

Also, I have a large fridge, so I can store a bunch of water and fruit juice here. Part of my dieting was cutting out soda completely, and trying to rid myself of sweets as much as possible. It’s hard, since I’ve been craving it more since I’ve been back on campus, but I’ve mostly held out. Mostly. Of course, since I’m in Mackin, and most of the STG hangs out in the union, I’m there almost every day, which requires 20-30 minutes of walking each way, so I’m still getting my exercise.

Speaking of STG, I went to the first meeting on Thursday, which was amazing. While only a few old members remain, there were a bunch of new people. It’s odd to thin that when I first started college at ESF back in 1999, the new members weren’t in high school yet. All of a sudden, I feel old. :P

STG definately seems to be going through a resurgence this year, with an active membership. Pete and the other E-board members are doing an amazing job in their positions so far, and bring a lot of enthusiasm and skill to their positions. I’m hopeful that this year will be one of the best yet for the group. For some reason I’m getting the image of a phoenix rising from the ashes, something that would make a great banner if I were a better artist. I’ll have to suggest it to people. Heh.

Finally, since I have Mondays and Fridays free, I’ve started working at Cooper this semester. I’m working 11:30 -3:30Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and alternate weekends, Saturday 10 -2 ad Sunday 5:30-7-15. Basically I could use some extra cash, and its nice to be doing something after sitting around for a year. Of course, a 15 hour work week on top of classes is a bit hard, especially with the walk from Mackin, but I think I can handle it. I was treasurer of STG when I was taking five classes, so I can handle this.

Life Continues

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 03:32:34 GMT

Congratulations to Dave and Aimee on their wedding. I'm sorry I couldn't make it, but I'm broke and I don't have transportation. I wish you both the best, guys! :)

I'm continuing to exercise daily. I’m walking about an hour and a half a day at this point, and I’m doing 20 pushups and 80 sit-ups/crunches. I’m still losing weight, I’m down to about 290 lbs. My goal is to be about 275 by the time I go back to Oswego on the 26th.

Losing weight

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 06:31:02 GMT

So I’ve spent the last month or so trying to lose weight. Since I found out I was going back to Oswego to get my MBA, I’ve tried to start cutting back on the junk food, and to exercise. I’m starting to see results too, I’ve lost 35-45 pounds, so far, down from around 350.

I’ve been gradually increasing the amount of exercise I can handle too. I started walking for 10 minutes and tried to do 5 pushups and 10 sit-ups at a time. Now I’m walking for 30 minutes and doing 15 pushups and 35 sit-ups, as well as doing a few sets on my brothers’ dumbbells. It’s starting to become noticeable too. I’ve been feeling more healthy lately, and I’m beginning to look better too, although I’m tired a lot more afterwards.

I hope to be down below 300 pounds by the end of the month, and eventually I’d like to drop to ( or below!) 200. I haven’t been 200 pounds since about 7th grade, so it would be nice to say the least. I’m hoping to join the campus gym once I get back next month, and continue on.

Living in Mackin

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 18:35:29 GMT

I finally got around to applying for the Mackin dorms today. I managed to get one of the last remaning open rooms too. Thanks to everyone who suggested it. All that remains now is for me to acutally register for classes, and I'll be set.

Getting my MBA

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:41:43 GMT

I found out I was accepted into the MBA program at Oswego for the fall, so it looks like I’ll really be going back then. I also learned that the college is going to waive two of the required courses for me because of my major, which is definitely a plus. It seems that I’ll be able to get my degree in the normal two years.

So now begins the hunt for an apartment, since I don’t feel like living on campus and getting stuck with another drunken frat boy. It doesn’t look like I’ll have a car, so I'll need something within walking distance of campus and/or the bus.

MBA

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:10:01 GMT

Yeah, I’m most likely going to grad school to get my MBA next year. I’ve been looking at SUNY Oswego, SUNY Albany and Syracuse University.

Today I took the first step towards that by taking the GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test). I’ll admit to being extremely nervous, since I needed a 450/800 minimum. Fortunately I did better than I’d feared. I got a 570, so I should get in somewhere. I can only hope, I guess.

Oh Great...

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 07:30:26 GMT

It looks like I have jury duty next week. Let's hope it goes quickly..

That's not really a surprise...

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:07:27 GMT

a Knight

You scored 5 Honor, 13 Justice, 1 Adventure, and 4 Individuality!

The whole 'protect the innocent, for the Divine and Country" really
appeals to you. You're rather go forward that around the side and
you're comfortable with traditional values.

Strap on a sword and wear your armor proud. You'll do just fine.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 13% on Ninjinuity
You scored higher than 99% on Knightlyness
You scored higher than 0% on Cowboiosity
You scored higher than 24% on Piratical Bent

Link: The Cowboy-Ninja-Pirate-Knight Test written by fluffy71 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Hmmm...

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 17:18:56 GMT

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Disorder:	Low
Schizoid Disorder:	High
Schizotypal Disorder:	Moderate
Antisocial Disorder:	Low
Borderline Disorder:	Moderate
Histrionic Disorder:	Low
Narcissistic Disorder:	Low
Avoidant Disorder:	Very High
Dependent Disorder:	High
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	Moderate
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! -- -- Personality Disorders --