An Open Letter to Bank of America [Job Hunt]
Mar 8th
Whether you know it or not is irrelevant, but I, like many Americans, am on the hunt for a job. Now, I’ve been with your bank for a very long time now, so I figured that I’d give you all a try since I know how well your tellers seem to like their jobs. I do understand that you want certain qualifications, so, to speed up the hiring process, you’ve computerized it all. Props to you on that, really. However, there seems to be a slight issue. Especially after the HOUR I spent doing the application.
I have great interpersonal skills, computer skills, and mathematics skills. I’ve been doing customer service for more than a year straight, and I’ve dealt directly with cash for over a year as well. Yet, somehow, I’m not qualified to work 20 hour per week teller shifts. Maybe I read it wrong, and I’m over-qualified, but I think that instead of just denying someone like that, you should have the local manager take a look at it before discarding it.
Frankly, I think I’m fully capable of supervising a group of tellers. Then again, what do I know, I’ve only got about 6 references that would back that statement up. Also, like I said, I’ve been with your bank for a very long time, I’ve already got your basics down, how hard could this job be? Boring at times, I’m sure. I’m also sure that, from time to time, tellers have to deal with angry customers. I’ve had customers yell at me before, I’ve also had customers hug me. I can more than handle your (probably) minimum-wage job. I truly hope you don’t treat your employees like pieces of meat, like you do your applicants. Only what they are on paper, not what they are in person, not having to hear what they have to say.
So, thank you Bank of America for making me feel as though I’ve directly wasted my time.
And if you’re ever looking for someone in the Central Florida / Ocala area who’s great with customers, great with selling things, awesome with computers, and can dish orders out as well as take them, feel free to give me a ring or drop me an email.
Sincerely,
Kolin Toney
(304) 249-8454
contact@specialkolin.com
The Puma Phone
Feb 18th
Puma, yes, the shoe company, is releasing it’s very own mobile phone. No, it’s not a shoe phone. [Gosh, it would be rather difficult to text of something like that.] Instead, it’s a multi-touch multimedia device. Now, see, I can understand what you may [or may not] be thinking right now; “Kolin, why do you care about this phone? You LOVE the iPhone, and accept no others!” I do, I know, but this may be a phone with more innovation in it than any of the other wannabe iPhone “killers” out there. So let’s look at what’s inside.
The Puma Phone is a GSM phone [for now, at least] so, naturally, it does have access to all 3G [HSDPA/HSUPA] networks. Like most touch screens, it has an accelerometer so you are able to change the orientation to fit your liking. Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, MicroSD slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and syncs over USB, the standard stuff.
The new/different stuff that it’s got drew me in. Other than the front facing camera [as well as a back one, which is 3.2MP with a flash], media player, FM radio, AGPS [or assisted GPS...used for geotagging videos and photos]. It also contains a digi-pet [if you will] to help entertain you while you’re bored. Also, there are two more sides to it, as Puma points out; a sporty side and a playful side.
The sporty side of it all gives you a analog stop watch, GPS run tracker, GPS bike speedometer, a pedometer, and a compass. All of which the iPhone has, but they’re ALL built in, whereas, on the iPhone, you’d need an app for some of them. All of this put together makes it great for those outdoorsy types.
The playful side has the messaging features, probably all phones have. Also, it’s got a punchy calculator which will give you a snarky comeback if you put in something simple, like 2+2. You can be your own DJ Hero with the scratching turntable. Also [drumroll please] VIDEO CALLS which Puma says is “easy peasy” to use. However, I’ve honestly yet to see someone use their cell to make video calls, but it would be nice to see it happen.
Finally, the major feature everyone’s talking about: the solar cell. Yes, yes, set your phone out in the sun, on the dash of your car, near the window in your 30th floor corner office, and it will CHARGE. It’s rather awesome to see something like this. With about 1 hour of solar charging, you’re looking at about 2 hours of music listening, or give it enough of a boost so you can make a decent phone call over 3G. Also, I would imagine, if you’re making a phone call out in the sun, you’d be able to talk for hours upon end before the battery would get close to dying. I’d like to note, though, the solar cell is not a home-charge replacement. It’s meant to give you a little extra boost while you’re out, away from your charger, home, or any major civilization for that matter.
Like I said, the Puma Phone is a GSM phone, so even though it’s only in Europe right now, we’ll see folks in the States using the Puma on AT&T or T-Mobile. Due to this, I’m going to attempt to get my hands on one, very soon.
For more info, check out The Puma Phone site.
The Buzz on Google Buzz
Feb 10th
It’s hip, it’s now, wow…and how?
Google, yesterday, rolled it’s new little app, integrated into Gmail: Buzz.
What is Buzz? It’s Google’s latest social media venture, incorporating what they kind of established with Latitude. What Buzz allows you to do is share: what you’re doing, your location, rate places (restaurants, businesses, etc.), and photos (from Flickr and Picasa). You’re also able to sync your Twitter and Facebook accounts to Buzz. Which begs the question: why should I use Buzz?
Well, Buzz is a part of your Gmail, where you already check your email, and chat with friends and family through google talk. So, it basically simplifies your browsing experience a little bit more. Also, you probably should check it out, cause, well, it’s Google, and right now the only fluke they’ve got is Wave (which I’m still sketchy on).
Right now, the talk of Buzz is mainly of the idea that it’s the next Twitter or Facebook. To answer this: no. If what I’ve seen so far is ANY indication on what Google Buzz is going to be for at least the next year or two, there is little to no chance that it’ll take over the Social Media market. Yes, it might become a prominent player, strictly because (again) it’s Google, and, well, the ball is in their court on so many other things. What I’m waiting to see is whether or not they will have an API and an actual app for it, even though, right now, it’s only a web app, so an API shouldn’t be needed. Twitter and Facebook really have it right now because of their APIs and the fact that there are so many different apps available for them and different ways to connect them.
Google has definitely fallen short in two areas. First off, their mobile app leaves a lot to be desired. Even while writing this post up, I wanted to get a couple screen shots, and everything seemed to start to mess up, wouldn’t post or just wouldn’t load. However, it’s still new, so I can understand, no site is perfect when they first release. Secondly, Google didn’t do a full roll-out for all of it’s gmail users. If you were lucky, you’re able to access Buzz from your computer, if not, Google only suggest that you be patient. Google would be able to collect so much more feedback (and probably crash their buzz server) if they gave it to everyone at the same time.
All in all, on paper, I really like Google Buzz, the implementation is just kinda wrong, to me.
For your enjoyment, Google’s made a goofy-cartoony video to explain Google Buzz:
NOTE: I do not believe that you’ll be able to use Google Buzz if you are using Google Domain Apps. You MUST have a Google/Gmail Account.
My Desks over 2009
Jan 2nd
The Desk, the important key to any nerd’s environment. I’ve changed things around oh so many times this year, shall we review? More >
Feedback Wanted: Media Network Idea
Dec 2nd
Because I’m currently lacking exactly 1 person to bounce ideas off of, whoever you are, will have to do.
Okay, so here’s how it will ultimately be:
I have a network of computers, I’ve got an Airport Extreme routing everything.
What I want to be able to do is have a single computer serving all media, preferably over iTunes since I’ll be adding multiple Apple TVs in the house.
The way it currently is, is I have my iBook G4 (basically, my upstairs TV) serving everything from a 500GB external drive over WiFi.
How can I improve this? Also, if I were to plug the HDD directly into the Airport and then use it’s mobile me feature, would I still be able to work iTunes as easy when I’m away from home? Cause, I know I can serve my iTunes locally through it… but I just don’t wanna worry about it when I’m mobile…well, I’d LIKE to have 200GB of media when I’m on the go without weighing down my MacBook Pro or carrying external drives.
Working and School
Nov 30th
For the past semester I’ve been working a full time job doing electronics sales. During that time, I’ve also been trying to go to school and actually get my degree in psychology. Mixing the two was nothing but a big mistake.
I wouldn’t doubt that there are some people that are able to do school work and hold down a full time job, but somehow I just can’t do this “be two places at once” bit. I fully enjoy the work that I do over the internet, mainly because I can actually do it while I’m busy doing other things. However, it’s just me trying to be at work all day, then coming home having 8 hours to either sleep or do school work. On a usual situation, I find that I pick sleep, because without it, I can’t function, and when I can’t function, I can’t do either.
I can say that because I have tomorrow off, I can actually join you tonight to express my feelings about this subject. I have no more homework to do since the semester is basically over, but I can guarantee that my sales job will be pushed out of the picture by the end of December strictly so that I may finish my degree.
Money does make the world go ’round, but these days, an education can give you more opportunities than anything else in the world. This is why I can honestly say that I look down on those who drop out of school and don’t show and initiative to further themselves. However, I look up to those who have that certain drive to get things done in their life and not just sit around and mope about how hard it is to get a job.
I would prefer to not quit my sales job, since I do have expenses and I do know how hard it is to get a job, but just because I know I could do a heck of a lot more with the education I have in line for me, I will be.
I’m probably writing in circles here, but it’s all I can think about lately. I want to make sure that I can afford everyone’s Christmas, but then I won’t be seen at HHGregg anymore.
Trust me when I say that I don’t HATE my job. I hate the hours and how much of my life it takes out of me. No one I know likes to only go out at nights or on the same days I have school. I love, however, the flexibility that my other job gives me and the emotional payoff it has. Sales just gives me a monetarily greedy payoff, which I am actually sick of. I want the paper that says that I’m smarter than most Americans in the field of psychology, not the papers that say I am richer than the typical lower classes of America.
Note to Adam: I hope I made it clear that I’ll be staying on-board especially starting January.
Black Friday
Nov 28th
Black Friday was insane for me.
I woke up at 1am, was at work by 3am, and dealt with at least 146 customers by 5am.
Anxiety attack at 6am, and stupid customers all-round!
Here’s an actual conversation:
Customer: How much are these cameras?
Me: [staring at the big sign above the cameras] they’re 29.95 after a $10 mail in rebate
Customer: how much is it before the $10 mail in rebate?
Me: … well, then it would be 39.95 [walks away]
And another:
Me: is there anything I can help you with, sir [it's around 4:30, so people aren't really there to LOOK]
Customer: yeah, where are the GPSs
Me: which one were you lookin’ for? [we had a couple in lockup only, so I couldn't just point out where to steal from us]
Customer: goddamnit! you have them on display somewhere don’t you? where the hell is that?
Me: well, sir, it’s right up in the front, you walked right by it when you walked in. [walks away]
I’m still anxious to see how much I really made.
November 26, 2009
Nov 26th
So, bird being the word, I figured that I might as well type up a blog post. It’s currently 10:24pm on Thanksgiving Day. Tomorrow at 1am I have to wake up and get ready for work. So, I sit here in my loft, unable to make a sad attempt at sleeping, since I already have and completely failed. On one laptop, I’m watching the Clone Wars, and the other (the bigger of the two, ironically) I’m trying to get netnewswire to work. Considering I have at least 7 hours left on my battery.
I’m actually quite anxious for tomorrow, considering it’s the biggest shopping day of the year and I get to go to an awesome party after work for Graham. I hope it all goes by in a flash because, otherwise, it will be most torturous.
I’ve got my work cut out for me in the future at home. I’m really going to get to work on making my home theater/media network. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished. I wouldn’t doubt that you all will enjoy it, too.
OKay, well, I’m hitting a writer’s block right now, but if y’all know me… you’d know I’m pretty busy these days. Feel free to drop me an e-mail or a text message.
Just a Few Words
Oct 28th
Hi there, folks. I know, I don’t post as often as I’d like, or as often as you’d like, but I’d just like to say that I’m still alive, and I’m doing much better.
If you’ve been following all my twitter posts, you would notice that lately my tweets have been more upbeat than usual. No, I’m not getting involved with a girl, I’m not on drugs, I don’t absolutely love my job, and I’m probably not completely crazy. However I did have some time to myself, no tweets or any kinds of updates, in which time I was able to confront (partially) this intense guilt complex of mine.
When coming out and apologizing for something that you’ve done, it takes a lot out of you. It’s scary, and can torment you for days afterward. But I felt that it needed to be done, and because I’ve gone ahead and done it, I feel better about it. No, I don’t feel 100% guilt free, but I haven’t been overwhelmed by my guilt since.
Now, I don’t want to make this post about my neuroses or making myself sound good (although, I’m sure it’s not). I just would like to say that I’ve been pretty worked out lately, and my time off hasn’t been spent appropriately, and I’d like to apologize to those I’ve been ignoring… or if it’s seemed like I have been.
Anyhow… in other news, I’m getting my grimey little fingers on an iPhone 3Gs soon (hopefully Friday or Saturday) and I’ve got a new job. I’m more happy than usual, and I’m still in a rather large amount of leg pain.
All in all, I’m going to end the night with the Top Flickr Photo of the day. I hope you all enjoy when I post them. I just like to show off the photos of mine that have gotten the highest number of views for the day.
Goodnight to you all… have a pleasant tomorrow, and, as always, have fun with your bodies.
