Wednesday 25 January 2006

Dust off your CV

Sorry I've not been around but I'm frantically learning a new programming language so that I can demonstrate robotics next Monday. The language is very simple and uses a drag & drop interface but because it's greatly restricted I'm learning what it won't do (or how to do things I'd so in other ways otherwise). For those interested it's the Lego Mindstorms kit but programmed through a slightly different interface.

Anyway! Last year a few of us missed out on a really cool job that came with a great company flat and country pad and wheels and loads of staff but Ratzinger got that so we've had to keep looking. Here it is then - a few million quid a year, first class travel around the world (but usually to nice places, we're not talking back streets of anywhere grubby), your employer will have far lower expectations than your customers - in fact your employers rarely have their sh*t in a pile so once you have your feet under the table you'll get away with all sorts of stuff. There are a few downsides, you'll probably have to spend time with some real idiots and they work for you. The press will be all over you all of the time and if you try going over the side the details will be printed and public before you've pulled your strides back on. The job becomes available sometime during the world cup - hopefully after the final but it might also be after the first round.

10 careful considerations:

kat said...

Oh we've got a Lego Mindstorms kit. My son can use it - I can't.

Nogbad said...

Perhaps he and I can start swapping program files :-)

It's not complex and that's where I keep getting tripped up - I plan a program and then realise that it doesn't have the constructs that I'd normally use. I haven't got many Lego parts here so most of the stuff I'm doing is being run through the simulator but all being well I'll be ready to do the taster session.

kat said...

Not many lego parts! Dear me. You'll have to get yourself a big box of the stuff.

Echomouse said...

Okay, as someone who has no clue about programming, reading you and Kat discussing the complexity of Lego just cracks me up! lol

What's this job? Is someone killing the Pope? Btw, did you see that picture of him at Christmas with the elf hat on? He looked just like the Grinch. It cracked me up. Might have to make that my Christmas card next year LOL

Nogbad said...

I'm picking up the rest of it at the weekend, enough for 8 robots including the RCX bricks and towers.

Mouse - if you have plans to kill the Pope I'm not sure you should be discussing it on the web, I have a feeling someone may have mentioned the internet to the FBI and they might get tense :-) The job is England football manager so I'm not sure how Chiquita's plan to recall Beirhoff would work either - is he qualified to play for England? :-)

Anonymous said...

What kind of a f***ing job is it where you get to play with Lego? And it counts on your CV. I;m in the wrong line of work.

Learn robotic dancing... may come in useful if you are on BB.

Nogbad said...

G double-ya. The basis for the Lego stuff can be found here. It's an undergrduate course on robotics. What I'm doing is using the robots to enthuse school children (has anyone noticed that I avoid the terrible word "kids" to describe children?) about HE and technology and computing. Far be it from me to suggest that electing to commute into London every day to a building which seems prone to typhoons is a bad career choice, I'm not going there :-)

Echomouse said...

Hell no I'm not planning on killing anyone. It sounded to me though as if you knew of someone who WAS planning it. Anyway, move along.

Nogbad said...

Oh Mousley! How might anyone think that you were considering killing too many people? ;-)

Nogbad said...

Chiquita I', sure that England would consider your application for the manager's job but they will won't let you recall Bierhoff - or Lehman or the current Germany coach. You will have the pick of English manhood - can't say fairer than that now can we?