Answered¶
What's next? What you up to?¶
I am busy busying myself
- reading,
- working,
- swimming,
- fixing,
getting paid,- cooking,
- caring,
- ...
- & rince+repeat
while waiting for answer onBetter+Nicer Galaxy(tm)company application...!>> I didn't make the cut. 😑
So moving on...to next steps
Next best thing(s) I can do
😅
FTR: Previous answer (archived Oct. 30 2020)
I'm applying for a job.
A very cool one, where I know/feel I can thrive & grow, at a Dream company.
When you check how they work, what they do -- it almost feels like from another Galaxy.
But they Real.
Very much so.
Candidacy deadline is Friday 16.
And I'm gonna be referencing to this site to them -- so they can check/review a fair chunk of breadth & depth of myself, professionally & personally.
So, I not sure how this is gonna play...
But here's a Head's Up/FYI:
I'm mentionning to them that, of course, they can contact anyone on the Askia Team, regarding feedback/recommendation vis-Ã -vis my ex-job.
Assuming your @askia.com emails haven't changed (yet), should be easy.
To all of you, I formulate no specific demand(s).
But express a pre-emptive "Thanks!" if you can give them some of your time to answer/talk with them, if & when.
If this bébé flies, there be a rocking BBQ Party & more next time we meet ;)
All good vibez & thoughts welcome.
And if you feel so enclined.. Wish me it!
FTR: Previous answer (archived Oct. 14 2020)
Not sure yet.
I have been taking a well needed break (for nearly 5 years, I only once took 2 consecutive weeks off -- to go to California with Mila for my cousin's wedding).
These last weeks I've spent quality time time with Mila, family, friends -- catching up, reading books, running Cat 6 ethernet thoughout Mila's Grandma's house (now very cool to have 300/300MB from nearly everywhere), and recontacting/helping out friends+collectives a bit now that I have more chill time.
Has Askia paid up your last invoices?¶
Yes. Finally.
FTR: Previous answer (archived Nov. 9 2020)
Summer went by
Fall is upon us
Winter is nigh
but status remains:
Not yet!
But apparently soon
I finally get paid
for work done last June!
Apparently Kantar's direct email confirmation of infamous laptop's safe return wasn't relayed to the relevant Askia/Ipsos Office or Department or (Steering) Committee, that which manages ex-employees' "debts & clearance".
I assumed that was something CFO related
But Hey!, I have no clue how things currently be (re|dis)organized @askia.com
Anyways, as long as dues be paid, I plan to let bygones be bygones, & just forget about the innefficiencies wrought by an overly-self-interested "corporate" take-over, aquisition.
Do you have unemployment or something?¶
Unfortunately, the answer is NO.
Due to the peculiar situation/agreement under which I was working for Askia (ie. lack of a formal written contract) I could not change my status here in Spain to a better one, and thus in a nutshell, I cannot claim any unemployment benefits.. or anything else.. yeah. really.
Where is the 1hr6' "ben can't breathe" video?¶
I didn't add it here, however, it is shareable -- no confidential info or business secrets exposed TTBOMK.
Several family & friends have seen it, much to their dismay.
But it helped them in that it cleared their doubts as to what I was going-through/doing.
If it can help answer questions or fill in some blanks for you, ping me an email -- I'll share it.
How can we stay in touch?¶
Did you have a plan? a strategy?¶
An overall plan, yes. I did.
An aspiration, dream sort of -- it was nice actually.
Could have tied in very well with Ipsos, IMO.
Strategy, tactics..? Well, yes.
Not sure how to explain, sort of a mix.
tl;dr digression
I studied History at KCL.
Aside from being an excellent History Dpt, at least back then it was switching #1 or #2 with Cambridge's in rankings, it is also sort of unique in that KCL also has a War Studies dpt.
KCL's War Studies faculty collaborated both with History faculty, and also with the outside, though an uncommon outside... such as RMA Sandhurst for example...
Every now and then, there'd be 2-3 shaded Bentleys/Jaguars/similar, parqued one after another, in Surrey St.
Anyways, I did a course 3 paper at UCL on Colombia, during which I researched British vs. French Navies' interests vis-Ã -vis the Panama Canal, late 19thC.
One of my KCL teachers, Prof. Porter put me in touch with War Studies dpt's Naval War Historian, Prof. A. Lambert.
I met him 3-4 three times; he made me catch up on stuff I didn't know enough of -- most essential was the work of A. T. Mahan.
Another KCL teacher, Dr Vinen, specialized in French modern also helped me.
I went to Kew Gardens archive, quite a bit. And also to archives in Paris, mainly the Palais de la reine, @Vincennes.
Blabla Ben..
Anyways..
..back then, in France, la marine française, there was the "Jeune école", aiming/wanting to overcome its limitations/numerical-inferiority with a doctrine/strategy of "guerre de course" -- one could say it served as a loose influence, in the poetic sense.
What was/were the next step(s)?¶
Establish a fully hinged vantage point with Ipsos to negotiate & come to a sane & better agreement.
What happened with the Kantar laptop?¶
@pascal
Apparently Kantar didn't want their laptop shipped to Askia Paris office.
Rather they wanted it sent straight to one of their London offices.
As I've been requested for confirmation1 of said laptop's effective return, I emailed Bally & Amrit asking if they can confirm reception, which they should have sent/be sending through.
AFAIK, UPS came to pick it up at my office on Tuesday September 15th.
I wasn't there, but I had left everything ready & let people here know about it.
FWIW:
UPS tracking of the laptop's return
Kantar/Amrit's email confirmation
