Re: What do you do and where? Derail

[Raging Turtle]

OK, enough lurking for me, time for a first post! *gulp*

Up until a year ago I was a molecular biologist who'd ended up as a laboratory manager in a UK university. That turned out to suck so much that it made me ill, so after much deliberating I gave up that career (of 15 years, can't say I didn't give it a good shot!) and am now working my way towards being a professional photographer.

You have my respect.  I've been a professor at a research university in the states for over a decade and the burnout has gotten to me as well.  My only problem is in deciding what to do next. 

/agree 

I imagine it would take some stones to change career paths once you've put in a solid 10 years or so.

Burnouts from high-paying corporate jobs aren't that uncommon in the ESL-abroad world, and the only complaint I ever hear from them is that they wish they had done it sooner.

[Lantyssa]

You have my respect.  I've been a professor at a research university in the states for over a decade and the burnout has gotten to me as well.  My only problem is in deciding what to do next. 

What about something in music?  Or is that too much of a hobby for you?

I was heading that way with my chemistry degree.  As much as I loved it, I realized I didn't want to do research for a living.  That's when I went into computers and I am so glad I did.  Sticking around a university means I don't get paid nearly what I could, but the stress is negligable and I enjoy my work.

[Nebu]

What about something in music?  Or is that too much of a hobby for you?

I'd love to, but I have to be very honest in saying that I don't have the talent it would take to make a living at it.  Most of my success in music has been in writing songs or more accurately, being able to surround myself with talented enough people to prop up my own position.  This is why I have such respect for Stray, Sky, and Raph.  They have far more natural talent than I ever could.  I've just been in the right place at the right time... a lot. 

I'm actually applying to a lot of teaching positions at small 4 year schools, but that may not be enough of a change for me.  I'm interviewing around the country as we speak, but if none of the positions really excite me I may just go back to school and reeducate myself in another field.  More school... ugh.  I'm sick. 

[Phildo]

Have you considered some sort of artist development job?  It's all about helping young bands learn from your experience, teaching them to be successful and whatnot.

[Yegolev]

You could host a cooking show on FOX.

[stray]

What about something in music?  Or is that too much of a hobby for you?

I'd love to, but I have to be very honest in saying that I don't have the talent it would take to make a living at it.  Most of my success in music has been in writing songs or more accurately, being able to surround myself with talented enough people to prop up my own position.  This is why I have such respect for Stray, Sky, and Raph.  They have far more natural talent than I ever could.  I've just been in the right place at the right time... a lot. 

I'm actually applying to a lot of teaching positions at small 4 year schools, but that may not be enough of a change for me.  I'm interviewing around the country as we speak, but if none of the positions really excite me I may just go back to school and reeducate myself in another field.  More school... ugh.  I'm sick. 

Dude, I suck Nebu! I'm still more or less a three chord punk after almost 20 years now.. And only my dabbling with not often heard styles (reggae, surf, and slide) kind of hides that. If one plays something people don't usually hear, then it kind of comes off more impressive than it should.

Anyhow, people bring the best out of me too. I'm not too motivated on my own. Don't feel so bad. 

[Ookii]

You could host a cooking show on FOX.

We could also band together and create the finest gaming studio known to man:

f13.games

[schild]

f13.games

i think i've heard of that before

[Nebu]

I really didn't want this thread to become about me.  I was more stating that Life > work and I admired the guy for making such a bold move.  I really appreciate the input from all of you and welcome any discussions in PM's.  I've actually even discussed Law School with Abagadro. 

[Phildo]

Nebu.  Band?  I'll play drums!

[Yegolev]

We could also band together and create the finest gaming studio known to man:

f13.games

As your lead programmer, I need to set up a meeting about moving our release date.

[Endie]

We could also band together and create the finest gaming studio known to man:

f13.games

As your lead programmer, I need to set up a meeting about moving our release date.

Bad news, guys: to prevent more slippage it looks like we'll have to lose the juggler and paedophile classes.

[IainC]

We could also band together and create the finest gaming studio known to man:

f13.games

As your lead programmer, I need to set up a meeting about moving our release date.

Bad news, guys: to prevent more slippage it looks like we'll have to lose the juggler and paedophile classes.

This is clearly a slap in the face to all rouges.

[Sky]

I thought we were combining the juggler and pedo because they were redundant?

[Endie]

I thought we were combining the juggler and pedo because they were redundant?

That was the clown and the pedo, after market research showed they were functionally identical.

[Yegolev]

Don't get too excited, we will be switching to a skill-based system in the pre-release patch.  This will delay implementation of the world model, collision detection, and tails on furry avatars but it's best for the game if we put some shit in a box ASAP.  The problem where the boat goes the wrong way in the Ocean of Pillow Biting will be fixed after release.  Mr. Gygax has promised that the first draft of the story arc will be ready by release as well.

[Sky]

Oh hai guys, the itemization and quests for the level 20-80 zones will take some more time. Should be able to patch it in after gold master, I SWARE!

[Phildo]

PR department's upset because someone in the design team thought it would be funny to make every NPC in the Thieves Guild a minority.

[schild]

I think I might have killed our QA guy by pumping too much oxygen into the QA Room while he was 6-boxing my raid quests in the LOLCATS zone.

At least he died smiling.

Can we get someone from marketing to mock up a poster saying "Zones so awesome, you'll fucking die!"? Thanks.

[Yegolev]

The QA guy was our marketing department.  Since he's my cousin, I'll ask Aunt Shirley where he is.  She's probably still making those dwarf textures.

[schild]

You might not want to alert Shirley yet. We need those textures by Friday and I'm pretty sure the QA guy is dead.

We don't need her adding Gargoyles and shit and making an emo dwarf mountainside castle.

[Sky]

6-boxing my raid quests in the LOLCATS zone.

On a related note, I've noticed a few sixboxers in EQ2 lately. Seen 'em in a few dungeons and also overland. I remember one group was from Red Knights of something or other, one guy moving around and five on /follow. I don't understand.

[Yegolev]

Lack of poon.

[Strazos]

Man, I sometimes I wish I could go back to school. Specifically law school. I'm under the delusion that I would really like being a criminal prosecutor.

Unfortunately, the money and actual aptitude for law practice is, eh...lacking. Just the thought of studying case law makes me sleepy.

Hell, just the idea of studying makes me sleepy; it's just one of those things I never had to do when I was young, so I never really learned how to actually, you know, study. Kind of prohibits one from going through an expensive law program.



Sidenote: hai guys, the glass cannon class Rogue class is complete. plz 2 send chek?

[lamaros]

Unfortunately, the money and actual aptitude for law practice is, eh...lacking. Just the thought of studying case law makes me sleepy.

I was interested in law as a kid too, did some work experience and such, and it wasn't the studying of case law that made me sleepy, there's a lot more to generate the "ugh" response than just that.

But of course here in Australia we have a different system, yours is exactly like Boston Legal and mad fun I'm sure.

[Strazos]

Only if I get to work with Jeri Ryan.

[Signe]

Only if I get to work with Jeri Ryan.

Wrong show.  You'd get to work with Candice Bergen and her waddle.

[Strazos]

Damn, I've just been owned. 

[schild]

Boston Legal has 10x more hot chicks than Shark.

[Signe]

How can anyone notice the hot chicks with William Shatner around? 

On a side note, Boston Legal has declined in to inane silliness that's really not worth watching anymore, just like all David E. Kelleys tv stuff.  He needs to learn when to quit.  I have to say that the only series of his I watched and was disappointed when it ended was Picket Fences.  I think that got canceled or something before it's time.  Captain Kirk is the only reason I still watch Boston Legal now and then, and I'm beginning to not enjoy his character so much anymore.

[Phildo]

Jeri Ryan was in one or two episodes of Boston Legal.  Still, I'm more partial to Rhona Mitra.

[Endie]

Unfortunately, the money and actual aptitude for law practice is, eh...lacking. Just the thought of studying case law makes me sleepy.

I have a law degree and it is the easiest of the under- and post-grad subjects I've studied.  Seriously.  Here is how to get honours in law at a prestigious university:

Weeks 1-47:  Don't bother turning up to classes.  Only attend tutorials or hand in course-work if you reckon the professor will notice.  Play rugby, drink, play civilisation, discover MMOs, and generally fuck about.  You're not slacking, you're preparing yourself.

Weeks 48: Go to the bookshop and buy all the set books for that year's courses.  This is the critical point of the course: a missing textbook with so little notice can prove fatal.  Also, get the past papers for the previous five or so years' exams.  There will be no real variety in the subjects covered: know these and

Weeks 49-51: read all the text books a couple of times, writing down forty or so full case citations for each course, together with the salient points (this should be about one sentence for each).  You have now distilled the course onto one sheet of A4.

Week 52: memorise the A4 sheet for each course in the hours before the exam.  Go into the exam hall and write out your case list again before you forget it.  Then broadly answer each question, being sure to cite at least six or seven cases in each answer, and heavily underlining each citation so the marker doesn't bother reading the rest of your waffle.

Week 52 + 30 minutes: Discover, half an hour after leaving the exam, that you have forgotten everything except Donoghue v Stevenson. Collect your degree shortly thereafter.

Law courses are expensive and hard to get into because they are heavily oversubscribed.  Not because they are difficult.  Quite interesting, though.

[Signe]

I don't even know who that is, you celeb-o-freak you.

[Wolf]

You don't know who Rhona Mitra is because you are not male.

[Bunk]

She, like, totally did Ali G.